Summer's End
by Sereven
Summary: On Hiatus.
1. Prolog I

**Hello everyone. I am aware that this is most likely rather unexpected by most that I would upload anything related to A Lion's Duty. Well this chapter was the first of a rewritten version I had abandoned about a year or so ago. But due to... certain people insisting on me posting at least the first chapter (*cough* blackmail *cough*) So here you go. Hope you are happy now Valerie, stop bothering me now...**

_***Update: 04.2015, As of now I can no longer consider this story a Rewrite of A Lion's Duty. The plot has developed differently and though both stories start with a similiar premise, the outcome will be too different to claim that these stories are the same. So this story will soon get a different name and continue with its own storyline.***_

**Oh well, I hope you all will enjoy this and all that...**

* * *

It was eerily quite in the keep, as Ser Jaime Lannister, eldest son of Lord Tywin Lannister, approached the king's throne room with fast steps. He was incensed, as he had just received the order to slay his own father. An order he could not and would not fulfill. Not for this mad king, who did not deserve his crown. But as he got closer to the throne room, he was met with a very peculiar sight.

"Rossart? What are you doing here?" Jaime asked, as he came across one of the king's pyromancers in the hallway, just outside of the throne room. The man was dressed like a common soldier, which was most unusual for a man of his order. These fire lovers were no soldiers, they would usually hide in some dark corner of the keep, until all danger was gone. So why was this man dressed like this?

"Ah, Ser Jaime. Here to see the king? He is in a good mood. He has just given me the most wonderful order. I shall give our guests are warm welcome, for all their troubles. A very warm one indeed." The man smirked brightly, a sickening expression.

Jaime knew that this could mean only one thing. He had already feared that the king would try to destroy the city out of spite. That he would try to kill everyone. It would come as no surprise if that madman believed that he would turn into a dragon by bathing in the fire, like his ancestor Aerion. But he wouldn't allow that to happen. His own father was in this city. Not to mention the countless innocents.

Before Rossart could realized what was happening, Jaime had already drawn his sword and attacked him. The pyromancer stood no chance against the experienced knight and was quickly slain, as Jaime gutted him with one strong swipe of his sword. Jaime only gave the corpse one more disdainful glance, before he continued on his way to the throne room. He had watched Aerys for long enough without acting. This madness had to end.

He entered the throne room through the king's door, unnoticed by king. Aerys was pacing restlessly in the middle of the room, muttering angrily about traitors and cowards. The unkempt man only realized that he was no longer alone, when Jaime had almost reached him.

"You! Have you done as I have told you? Is that the blood of your traitorous father on your sword?" The king asked angrily, "If not, then leave and bring me his head. Else you will burn with all the other traitors. I have already sent Rossart to give them a warm welcome," A feral grin spread on Aerys' lips. His eyes shone with the full might of the madness that had consumed the once proud king's mind. "So, answer me, whose blood is on your sword?"

"Rossart's. Your little fire won't come to be." Jaime replied coldly.

The smirk vanished from the king's face, replaced with fear. His eyes were fixed on the blood on Jaime's sword, before he turned around and ran towards the Iron Throne. But Jaime was hot on his heels, his own anger driving him on to end this madman's reign.

"You would burn this entire city, your family's legacy, out of spite. You would kill all of your people, just to satisfy your sick obsession with fire. You doom your own family, your son's family, your grandchildren. You would have me kill my own father, when it is you who deserves death the most." Jaime yelled as he charged after the king.

He reached him just as Aerys was about to climb the platform to his throne. But Jaime grabbed him and hauled him off the stairs, turning him around. Once more he stared into those mad eyes of this king, though now they were filled fear. And a foul smell spread, as Jaime realized that Aerys had soiled himself in fear. What an undignified action for a king.

"Those traitors want my city... let them have nothing but charred bones and cooked meat. Burn them. BURN THEM ALL!" Aerys screamed in one last outburst, before Jaime silenced him forever. He cut the king's throat with his sword, bringing an end to the madness that had lead to a rebellion that had cost thousands of innocents their lives.

He let go of the corpse, disgusted by the scene. Aerys was not even able to die like a king. He died undignified, with soiled robes, his last words nothing more than another bout of madness fueled rage. Nothing good would be remembered from this man. Only his madness and the doom he had brought down on his family.

Jaime looked around, to make sure that there was no one left, who could relay Aerys' last order. But they were alone. Rossart was the last man to meet the king. No one else was left here, all others had fled. And they were right to do so. But now there would be no one left to do Aerys' bidding. The pyromancers would never burn this city. His father would not die, neither by his hand nor by the wildfire.

Moments passed as Jaime just stood there, looking at the corpse, before he realized that his duty was not yet over. He had sworn to Prince Rhaegar that he would keep his family safe. He really hoped that this order had not included Aerys, as he would have hated to disappoint the prince. But the prince's family was still alive, but in no less danger than before. The rebels would show them no mercy. Not even the little children.

He remembered that Princess Elia had gone to the nursery, to look after Prince Aegon. He really hoped that she was still there and that both her son and her daughter were still with her. They needed to get out of this city. Anywhere was safer than King's Landing at the moment. But before he left the throne room, he ripped off his white cloak and wiped the king's blood from the blade with it. He threw it into one of the giant braziers near the entrance, so it would burn to ashes. King Aerys wanted to burn his legacy, but the only thing that burned that day was Jaime's past. And he felt as if a burden left his shoulders, as the cloak burned brightly. But he did not linger for long enough to watch it burn completely, instead he ran towards the nursery, as fast as his armor allowed him to.

No guards were left in the keep. Even the servants had long deserted this part of the city, knowing that anyone who got caught here would likely die this day. It was almost eerily silent. The thick walls kept the sounds from the city outside, so Jaime could only hear his own heavy footsteps. But he knew that outside of the keep all hell had broken loose. His own father's men were busy sacking the city in the name of the soon to be proclaimed King Robert Baratheon. Jaime could only scoff at this. A Baratheon on the throne, gods help them all. One of those belligerent Storm Lords would never be able to rule all the kingdoms like they should be ruled.

As he had nearly reached the nursery, he happened upon the one person he had not expected to see. The king's Master of Whisperers, a bald eunuch called Varys. And much to his surprise, Varys carried a sleeping infant in his arms. A child that could only be Prince Aegon, since there were no other children his age inside of the Red Keep.

"Lord Varys!" Jaime exclaimed-

The eunuch stopped, a look of surprise on this face, as he saw Jaime approach. "Silence, Ser Jaime, you don't wish to wake the prince. It would be safer for us all, should he sleep until he is out of the city." Varys said cautiously.

"What are you doing with the prince? Shouldn't he be with his mother at the moment?" Jaime demanded to know.

It was obvious that Varys was unsure whether he could trust Jaime or not. Jaime's own father had betrayed the Targaryens not long ago and now the bald man had to face this traitorous lord's son.

"Rest easy, Lord Varys, I am not your enemy. I am on my way to get the princess and her children to safety. So please tell me what you intend to do with the crown prince." Jaime demanded to know. The grip on his sword tightened once more, as he was clearly suspicious of this man and his intentions with the prince.

"If you are truly loyal to the Targaryen dynasty, you won't ask any further questions regarding the prince. I will take him to safety, that is all you need to know, Ser Jaime." Varys said cautiously, as he looked around, clearly expecting enemies to arrive any moment now. He was clearly in a rush and did not like this disturbance in the slightest.

"Why should I trust you with the safety of our next king?" Jaime said aggressively, as he stared at the eunuch.

"Our king? So King Aerys has met his end. How very unfortunate. But I had warned him, yet he didn't listen. Pycelle was a traitor in the end, aiding your father in this conquest." Varys muttered. The prince in his arms stirred for a moment, but kept on sleeping as Varys started to rock him a little.

"Aerys is dead. But that man was never a king. But that is not the point here. Why do you have Prince Aegon and where are his mother and sister?"

"Princess Elia has tasked me with the safety of her son and I intend to bring him out of this city. Now if you don't mind, I would rather avoid your father's bloodhounds."

But Jaime did not believe this story in the slightest. There was no way that the princess would allow this man to bring only Aegon to safety. Elia loves both of her children dearly and would never allow for one of them to come to harm, not when there was a way to save them.

"The princess would never sacrifice her daughter, so where is she?"

Varys sighed, clearly annoyed by this unplanned delay. But he elaborated, albeit reluctantly, "I do not know. The princess was not in the nursery, but she should be safe." It was clearly a lie, even Jaime could see that.

"Liar," he accused angrily. He raised his sword threateningly, regretting that he had cleaned it with his cloak. It would have had a much more threatening effect with blood tripping from the edge.

"Listen, Ser Jaime. If you are truly loyal to House Targaryen you will let me leave now. Otherwise the prince will die and his entire dynasty with him. The rebels will not spare him, just because he is an infant. We all have heard about how much Robert Baratheon hates Prince Rhaegar, do you truly believe that he would let his son live?"

The answer was obvious. No. He had only heard rumors from the riders that had brought them the news of the defeat at the Trident, but what they said was gruesome enough. They had talked of the rebel leader brutally crushing the prince's body with his hammer, even long after Rhaegar had died. Jaime did not know if that was the truth, but he knew that rumors of this man's hatred was not exaggerated in the slightest.

"Where will you take him?" Jaime finally asked, as he came to the difficult decision to trust Varys for now. He had less reason to mistrust this man than Varys had to distrust him. Maybe at least one member of Aerys' council had not turned a traitor the moment the city fell.

"It is better for the boy's safety if you do not know it. Should you prove your loyalty to his family, I will contact you in the future about Prince Aegon's destiny. But for now I have to leave, before they find out about my ruse. Tell no one about this. For this boy's sake, never reveal what you have seen here... and should we both survive these dire times, I will contact you." Varys did not wait for a reply, instead he ran down the corridor, as fast as his plump body allowed him to.

Jaime quarreled with his own doubts and worries for a moment. Was it right to allow Varys to leave with the prince? Or was this man a traitor and was just about to deliver the boy as a gift to his new masters? Jaime had no answers to these questions, but for the sake of his sanity, he stopped pondering and continued his way towards the nursery. He had to find Princess Elia and Princess Rhaenys. There were still two more people he had to rescue.

* * *

As he reached the part of the keep that housed the royal family, he quickly realized that he had come too late. The few guards that had remained with the princess and her children had been slaughtered. A mess of blood and entrails covered the floor and walls, as he saw men who had been cleaved in half... and a dead child, no doubt around the same age as the prince... He stopped for a moment and stared at the child in surprise and revulsion at its gruesome death. Then a feeling of cold dread flooded Jaime's stomach, as he realized that there was only one man who was able to cut another man in half with his sword. Ser Gregor Clegane, one of his father's trained beasts. A monster of a man, bred and trained to kill.

Then he heard a scream, a voice he knew well. Princess Elia. She was nearby and so was her attacker. Jaime acted without much thinking and kicked the door to the nursery open, revealing the brightly lit room and its two sole occupants.

Elia was on the ground, trying to crawl away from the hulking man Jaime had dreaded to meet. Clegane still had his sword in his hands, blood and gore stuck on its gigantic blade. The princess looked deathly frightened, even as she saw Jaime enter. It was not surprising, as her current attacker was a known servant of his father...

"Get away from her, Clagane!" Jaime bellowed, hoping that the man would obey him, like he did his father. But when the hulking beast looked at him, he only saw a cold grin and complete disregard. There was no reasoning with him.

As Clegane continue his way towards Elia, unperturbed by Jaime's presence, the young knight had to act. "I said go away," He grabbed Clegane's shoulder, a foolish move, as the man grabbed his wrist and threw him across the room, as if he was a mere child to him.

This left Jaime with little choice. Fight or watch the princess die. But the latter was not an option. He couldn't fail another oath, not one to the man he had grown to respect, despite his latest, more questionable decisions. His father would call it a case of misplaced loyalties, but Jaime would not tarnish himself any more, by condoning Tywin's treason. The Lannisters had not reason to rebel, his father's choice was pure opportunism.

Jaime jumped back to his feet and grabbed his sword tightly as he ran towards Clegane. The man had turned his back to him, a sign of disregard that insulted the very core of Jaime's pride as a knight. But the hulking man would regret this. Jaime knew that he would stand no chance in a normal one on one fight, too great was their difference in strength at the moment, but he would disable him for long enough to flee with Elia. So he rammed the tip of his sword into the hollow of Clegane's right knee, where the man's armor was the weakest.

The effect was imminent, as Jaime's opponent toppled and fell, roaring in pain. Jaime used the chance to knock his sword from his hands, before Clegane could grasp what had happened.

Jaime was sure that this way the man would be unable to chase them, but he had no time to waste. He had to get Princess Elia out of this place and he had yet to find Princess Rhaenys. She was obviously not with her mother. But if she wasn't here, where was she?

"Come, princess, we have to run." He approached Elia quickly and helped her up. There was still great distrust on her face, but he could also see the relief, that he had saved her from the savagery of Gregor Clegane. Without Jaime, she would not have lived to see the end of the hour.

"Where is Rhaenys?" Elia asked, as they left the room. For a moment she nearly fainted, when she saw all the blood and dismembered bodies outside of the nursery, especially the little child, but she forced herself to go on. Jaime had to comment her strength in this situation and her will to go on, for her daughter's sake.

"I had believed that she would be with you!" Jaime shot back, as he dragged Elia away from the bloody mess and the roaring Clegane.

"No, she wouldn't stay in the nursery... she was tired... Rhaegar's chambers. She must have gone there. Hurry." She pushed him away, as she said this.

"But you..."

"I will follow, but you are faster without me. I just need a moment to gather myself... hurry, I beg of you, Ser Jaime, save my daughter." Elia pleaded.

Jaime nodded, a look of grim determination on his face. If Rhaenys was still alive, he would protect her. So he ran towards the stairs, which lead him down to the lower levels, where the royal chambers were situated.

As he reached Rhaegar's room, he could already see the princess. She was on the ground, struggling as a man in Lannister armor pulled her out from under her father's bed. The man already had a sword in his hand, ready to strike the girl. Only belatedly Jaime realized that there were two more men with him, but it wouldn't matter. He had to safe the princess, against one or a dozen attackers, it made no difference.

And the men were clearly taken by surprise, as Jaime charged into the room and felled the first with one quick strike. The second was able to draw his sword, but not to block the strike that cut deep into his shoulder. Jaime kicked the dead body, to pull his sword out of the deep wound, before he assaulted the third and last member of this murderous group. A familiar face looked shocked and slightly fearful at Jaime, as he attacked. He remembered the man as one of his father's bannermen, though he couldn't remember the name, not that he had the time or the right mind to try at that moment. Instead he drove the man back, away from the princess.

"Ser Jaime! What is the meaning of this? Your father..." The man almost stuttered, as he looked at his lord's son. He was obviously confused why he was attacked by him of all people. He was just doing Lord Tywin's bidding, so why was his son here to prevent it?

"Enough of this savagery. I won't allow you to kill this child." Jaime charged again and drove his sword through the man's chest. He spat blood, as the sword obviously pierced his lungs, but not his heart, as Jaime had intended.

"Why...?" The man asked weakly, between blood coughs.

"A Lannister always pays his debts." And he felt indebted to Rhaegar. He had failed the man. Though he had sworn to protect his family, he had killed his father and his own family was about to destroy all that was left of House Targaryen. But he would not allow for Rhaegar's daughter to come to harm. Not as long as he still drew breath. He pulled out his sword and, with another flurry, severed the man's head from his shoulders.

He breathed heavily, as he finally allowed himself a moment of rest. All attackers were dead, the princess was safe.

He quickly wiped the blood of his sword with the sheets from the bed, before he put it back into its sheath. He hoped that he wouldn't need it again this day. Five kills were enough for one day... especially one as sad and treacherous as this.

He finally looked at the princess, who cowered next to her father's bed, obviously traumatized by the recent events. She looked at him with wide, fearful eyes. Shining dark lilac gems, her father's eyes, the only feature she had from her father.

It bothered him more than he was willing to admit, that the girl looked at him as if he was the Stranger incarnate. He was here to safe her, not to spook or harm her in any way. So he forced a friendly smile on his face, the same false smile that always adorned his face, when he was on duty. The smiling mask he had created, to hide how much the king's madness had truly affected him.

"Princess, are you alright. Did these bad men hurt you?" He asked as kindly as he could, as he knelt down in front of the young girl. She was small for her four years of age, a possible sign that she took after he mother in that regard, as Elia herself was a delicate woman.

Rhaenys was merely dressed in her nightshirt, a clear sign that she was here, in her father's room, in an attempt to sleep. He knew that the girl loved her father dearly. He had seen how she had suffered under his absence... So far they had not been able to find an opportune moment to tell the girl that Rhaegar would never return to her. At least her mother was still with her now...

Again Jaime pushed these gloomy thoughts away, to focus on his task. The princess had to disappear. He had to get her out of the city, as fast as possible. Should anyone find her, she would not see the next sunrise. "Come, princess, I will take you somewhere safe." But as he tried to reach out with his hand, she shied back from him. "It is me, Ser Jaime. Don't you recognize me? I will protect you. These bad men won't harm you, I promise."

Rhaenys clearly recognized him. How could she not, when Jaime was the only Kingsguard who was constantly around, guarding her family each day. But her brief experience with these violent men had left her frightened and distrustful.

"I want my mommy..." The girl whispered tearfully.

"Your mother has sent me to protect you, princess. She wants you to come with me, so you will be safe," Jaime said.

"Will mommy be there?" Rhaenys asked in between sobs.

Jaime hesitated. He did not want to answer this. What was he supposed to answer? He had to look for Elia, she had not arrived yet. Had something happened to her? Had Clegane, despite the gaping wound in his knee, managed to get her in the end? He hoped not. They had little time to waste, he wouldn't be able to wait for her.

"Yes," he finally lied through clenched teeth, "She will be waiting for us there. Come now, princess." He offered her his hand. At last the girl finally took his hand and allowed him to pick her up. He put her down on the bed for a moment, so he could drape a small blanket around her, to offer her some more protection than the thin nightshirt she was wearing. Then he took her and ran.

Luckily, Elia was already waiting there, a cloak with a hood draped around her slim shoulders, which would hopefully be enough to conceal her identity.

"Rhaenys!" Elia cried, her eyes full of tears. She cupped her daughter's cheeks with both hands, before she pressed a small kiss on her daughter's forehead. Seeing them happily reunited gave Jaime some solace, but it would be worth anything, if he failed to get them out of the city.

"Princes Elia, we have to run. We can't stay here. My father will surely send more men and once the rebel army arrives..."

"Yes... of course.," Elia replied somberly, "Lead the way, Ser Jaime." He knew that she most likely had a hard time trusting him, despite all he had done. The Lannisters had turned out to be traitors at the very end. But she had little choice. For Rhaenys' sake and her own, she would have to trust the son of the man who wanted her dead.

And Jaime, he wasted no more time and pulle Elia with him, as he ran. Out of the keep, out of his old life. He had no idea what he should do now, where he could go with this girl and her mother. But he knew that he would protect them. And in this moment he experienced a feeling he had long given up on. For this one moment, he finally felt like the knight he had always wanted to be, before the harsh reality of the royal court squashed his dreams and hopes.

* * *

Jaime sighed in relief, as he made it out of the Red Keep without running into any other living being. The princess was silent so far, which was another thing to thank all seven gods for, as he had no idea what he was supposed to do with a hysteric child in such a situation.

But he already cursed his luck, once he had seen the current chaos in the city of King's Landing. Fires everywhere, though nowhere as bad as what Aerys had tried to do. The sounds of despair could be heard. No fighting, as there was no one left in the city to fight the intruders anyway. But the pleading of the men before they were cut down and the women before the men forced themselves on them. It was a terrible sight, even for Jaime, who had seen some cruelty in the fights against the Kingswood Brotherhood.

Elia could only gasp in shock.

He could scarcely believe that his own father would order such a show of utter depravety. He knew his father as a ruthless man, but he wasn't unnecessarily cruel like this. But maybe... maybe he did not know his father as good as he had always deluded himself to believe.

He continued his trek towards the nearest city gate, to get out of King's Landing. And he wasn't alone. Countless people around him fled, none of them paying him or his charge any attention, despite his rather noticeable heavy armor. But unlike the fleeing smallfolk, Jaime's escape came to a quick end, when he had the misfortune to run into one of his father's patrols. Twelve soldiers, lead by a knight. Oh how he cursed his luck.

"No matter what, keep your eyes closed. The bad men won't be able to hurt you, as long as you keep your eyes shut," he whispered to the small girl he was carrying. Maybe he would be able to get out of this unscathed, as long as no one realized who this girl and the woman with him truly were. But Rhaenys eyes would reveal her identity in a heartbeat. Lilac eyes were very uncommon. In fact the only other person with he knew, who had similar eyes, was Princess Elia's friend, the Lady Ashara Dayne and her brother, Ser Arthur Dayne. But none of them had children around Rhaenys age. Rhaenys was the only known little girl with these distinctive eyes in all of the Seven Kingdoms at the moment.

"By the gods!" The knight exclaimed, as he approached Jaime quickly with a jovial expression on his face, that was thoroughly unfit for such a situation. "Ser Jaime, your father was very worried when we couldn't find you in the Red Keep. He has sent us all into every corner of the city to find you. He feared that the mad king had done something to you, just to spite him one last time."

"As you can see, I am well and unharmed." Jaime replied dryly. "And you are?"

"Ah, forgive me, my lord," He did not look sorry at all. In fact he was grinning even wider now, most likely because he believed that he would get some grand reward from Tywin Lannister for finding his son alive. "I am Ser Elys Westerling, my lord." Westerling... Jaime tried to remember where he had heard that name. Then he remembered a visit to one of his father's bannermen, somewhere north of Casterly Rock, when he was still a child. The Crag, that place had been called. The home of House Westerling. "But my lord, if I may ask, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your lord father in the Red Keep, to celebrate your victory over the mad dragons?"

"You may not ask and now I would prefer for you to leave," Jaime replied gruffly. This was no victory. It was a one sided massacre. Only fire, blood and death, nothing more. All Seven Hells had opened to swallow King's Landing and everyone in it.

"But my lord, your father's orders..."

Jaime allowed an annoyed snort to escape, as he stared at the frustrating man. He was sure that his father had promised a handsome reward to anyone who would bring him his son safe and sound. And that could mean only one thing, this knight would not give up so easily. But his time was running short and he could ill afford to argue with Ser Elys. Fighting him was not an option. Though he was more than confident that this knight could not match his own prowess, there were still a dozen more men who served Ser Elys. Not to mention that he had the princesses to think about. A fight would be an unnecessary risk for their lives and should they die, his own actions and his last promise to Prince Rhaegar would have been for naught.

"I will not go to the Keep. Not immediately, at least. I have other things to worry about, than pleasing my father." The father who had attacked the city, despite knowing that his eldest son's life would be endangered by this action. Jaime had no doubt, had the mad king had more men at his disposal, they would have tried to kill him the very moment his father turned against the king. But Tywin Lannister had attacked none the less.

"But why? Is it because of this child and that woman?" Ser Elys asked, clearly puzzled. "Who are they?"

"That is none of your business!"

"But, my lord..."

"Listen. This child should not exist and should my father find out about her, her life and that of her mother will be in danger. So shut up and let me pass. Do not tell anyone that you have seen me or them." Jaime said sternly. He hoped that the knight would understand the implied meaning.

"She is your..."

"Do not finish that sentence, if you wish to survive this night, Ser Elys. Should she come to harm, I will hold you accountable for her fate."

"My lord, if you would allow, me and my men will take the girl and her mother to safety for you and guard them until the time you can safely retrieve them. But your father will tear this city down, brick by brick, just to find you. You have to go back to him, I beg of you, my lord." The plea would have been much more convincing, had it not been for the shine of greed in the man's eyes. He clearly expected to be paid a very substantial reward for keeping the girl safe. Not that Jaime would have entertained this idea for a single moment. Rhaenys was not safe, unless he was with her, to keep all those who would wish her harm away.

"I will not entrust the girl or her mother into your care. I will take them to safety and only then will I make my way back to my father. This city be damned, the men are already burning it down, as they loot and brutalize the people. Now get out of my way."

"Then at least allow us to guard you on your way out of the city. It would not do for you to come to harm, should any of the less reliable men mistake you for a royal loyalist, because of your armor."

The man's insistence had long since turned from bothersome to audacious, as Ser Elys stubbornly refused to let this chance for gain and fame to escape his grasp. Jaime really wanted to punch this man's irritating grin out of his face, but he composed himself, for Rhaenys' and Elia's sake.

"Very well. But only to the nearest gate, from there I will continue on my own. This whole group would draw far too much attention." Jaime conceded, just to get this argument over with, "Once they are safe, I shall see to it that you are properly rewarded for your services, Ser Elys." Oh how his anger rose, as he saw the look of utter greed on this man's face. All he wanted was to earn more golden coins here, by whatever means necessary. No doubt he was already plotting ways to gain more by guarding the secret of Lord Tywin's supposed bastard granddaughter. Not that he would gain anything. Should his involvement ever become known, all he would get as reward was a nice view on the chopping block of Casterly Rock's executioner.

"Of course, my lord." Ser Elys replied readily. "Men, open a path for Lord Jaime towards the River Gate. Do not let anyone get near him." He ordered, almost giddily, as he pulled out his sword and positioned himself next to Jaime.

But the young Lannister did not comment on this any further, instead he merely allowed the group to lead him towards the gate. At least they traveled much faster this way. Most of the smallfolk were too afraid of the armed men, rightfully so, and made a wide berth around the group.

"Only a little longer. Keep your eyes closed, soon you will be safe." Jaime whispered, as the princess small arms tightened around his neck. He could feel that she was shaking like a leaf in the wind. It lessened a bit, when he spoke, but his words were not enough to end her fear. At least her mother remained calm, as she tried to keep her face hidden underneath her hood. Ser Elys had obviously heard him as well, though the knight pretended that it was not the case.

Within minutes they had reached the closest city gate, the River Gate, which stood wide open. No one was left to guard it, no one was willing to guard it. What was left of the Gold Cloaks, the city watch of King's Landing, had long deserted their posts. A shameful conduct, though he could understand their reluctance to fight in such a situation.

"The stables, Ser Elys. Get us horses. Quickly." Jaime ordered, as he saw some small stables near the gate. His escape would be much easier on horseback.

The knight quickly send two of his mend to retrieve a horse for the son of their lord and the woman with him. They returned with a black stallion and a white mare. The stallion a huge beast of a horse, but obviously the only animal in the stables that was not too spooked to be ridden at the moment. The mare looked... fidgety, but hopefully she would do for now.

Jaime allowed himself one look back towards the Red Keep. The usually dark sky of the early night was ablaze with the light of countless fires. A haunting sight. And in this moment of inattention, Ser Elys had managed to grab Rhaenys and take the girl from his arm.

Jaime whirled around, ready to fight if he had to. Had the knight realized who this girl truly was? That would have been a disaster. But luckily that was not the case.

"Peace, my lord. You cannot mount your horse properly with a child on your shoulder. I will hand her to you as soon as you sit on your mount," Ser Elys said in an attempt to placate the angry man.

The young Lannister looked at the princess first. She was still, too scared to move, her eyes still squeezed shut. Only then Jaime nodded and went to the horse. As promised Ser Elys handed him Rhaenys as soon as he sat high on top of his horse. He placed her in front of him, one arm wrapped protectively around her small body. Some of the other men had helped Elia onto hers as well.

"I will not forget what you have done today, Ser Elys. When I return I will see to it that you are more than handsomely rewarded for your service tonight." Jaime said, as he looked down to the knight. "But... there is one more thing. Go back into the city and do something about those fires. The mad king had his pyromancers hide countless caches filled with Wildfire. Should they explode, there won't be a city left, once the rebel lords arrive."

"Of course, my lord." Ser Elys replied. "And your lord father?"

"You have not seen me tonight. Should he ask you about me, tell him that I was nowhere to be found. If all goes well, I will be back with him in a few days time." Jaime said quickly. "Farewell, Ser Elys."

He did not look back, as he rode into the dark night. Away from King's Landing. Away from his father and the king. Away from the past that would forever haunt him and into the unknown future. Only one thing was for certain now, he still had one duty, one oath he must fulfill. He would keep the princesses safe. And for the first time in many years, he felt like the knight he was supposed to be, not the mockery of his vows, that his service to the mad king had turned him into.

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, as I had said before, this is a rewritten version of A Lion's Duty. I have never gotten far with it and right now I am not sure whether I will put much effort into it. My other ASoIaF story, Lions and Dragons, never got much attention and my interest in the whole storylines for ASoIaF has hit an all time low. But since Valerie forced me to post this, let me at least know whether this had been another waste of time or not. I know that there are still at least a hand full of people left who wanted me to continue my old story. This rewrite does not mean that I will abandon anything or whatever. At the moment I am not sure which story I will continue or whether I stop writing altogether.**

**So why this diffent beginning for the story? In the early stages of writing a Lion's Duty, some of my loyal Reviewers had utter the wish to know how different the story would have been, had Jaime saved Elia as well. I had to admit that it was a rather intriguing idea. Elia's survival has a much larger impact than most would expect. It would take much of Dorne's reasons for war, which would limit the number of true war mongers in this story to just Robert and Viserys. Doran and Oberyn have no reason for vengeance, but the safety of their niece is a reason for much strife between them and the new king. It opens the possibility that the war is less deliberate and much more the consequence of irresponsible hatred and hurt pride. Not to mention the effect Elia's survival would have on Rhaenys. With her mother still alive, she would grown up differently, a lot less angry and resentful towards the rebelling lords. Or at least she could be more open minded. Oh well, just imagine the rest for now...**

**And don't bother telling me about every single mistake, English is not my native tongue and I tend to distrust most Beta's after a some bad experiences with my last one, so yeah. I know that it is not perfect when it comes to grammar and vocabulary, but meh.**

**And at least the next season isn't that far away any more, though I would prefer the next book over any TV show... but alas, at least the TV show might renew my interest in writting these stories.**


	2. Prolog II

**Well hello there. Since the first chapter had received mostly positive and encouraging reviews, I have decided to upload the rest of prolog, which I had finished so long ago, after adapting it to the latest books. I was really surprised with by the number of Reviews. There are a lot of great stories here on FF that don't get 17 Reviews for the first chapter... just saying... thank you all.**

**So here it is, part II. Have fun...**

* * *

Large parts of the city had already been reduced to smoking rubble. Fires had consumed the lives and homes of rich and poor alike, as Eddard Stark arrived at the gates of King's Landing. He and his army had marched almost day and night to arrive in time, but alas it seemed as if they were too late. The battle was already over and it was obvious who had come out victorious.

High above the Red Keep he could see only one flag flying. The roaring lion of House Lannister. The one House that had remained neutral until the conflict had already been decided, only to choose their side at the last possible moment. He had expected a lot from the lions, but the way they had taken the capital city left him stunned and sickened. So much death, so much suffering... to end a war that had already been decided in Robert's favor. It was a disgrace to all they had fought for.

He quickened his pace, as he approached the Red Keep, his men barely keeping up with him. He wanted answers. He had to find out what had happened the night before. And he had to claim the throne for Robert, who was unable to be with him, due to his wounds. There was no doubt that the Targaryens were gone and even in the unlikely case that they were captives of the Lannisters, their lands titles were forfeit. The Seven Kingdoms would have a new king and Eddard would be damned, should he allow a Lannister to take the crown.

The halls of the Red Keep were filled with men in Lannister armor, all looking so smug, obviously pleased with themselves after the savaging of the city. Eddard's face hardened more and more, the further they got. Soon they had reached the doors that lead to the throne room. The floor outside was stained with someones blood, but Ned did not even want to imagine whose. But there was enough of it to quell any hope that the wounded person might have survived.

"What do you mean they have escaped? We are speaking of a weak woman and a small child. How can you not find them?" Ned heard someone yell inside. He knew the voice, though he only heard it a few times before. Lord Tywin Lannister, the lord paramount of the Westerlands. "And my son? Gone as well! Begone and don't you dare to show your face before me unless you have found them!"

Ned had heard enough, so he pushed the large doors open and entered the throne room. Inside he found Lord Tywin and what must have been his knights and lords... and the king. Aerys Targaryen was dead, killed right in front of the Iron Throne. And no one even showed any inkling to cover the body of the deceased monarch up. It was left where he had died, for all to see.

All eyes in the room shifted towards Ned, as he and his men entered. The look on Tywin's face hardened, as he stared at the young lord of Winterfell. Maybe they had not expected him so soon and he had interrupted their scheming. Ned did not know for sure, but he was not in the mood to play Tywin's games anyway.

"And there comes the victorious rebel lord. Congratulations are in order, Lord Stark. The murder of your father and brother has been avenged. And the kidnapper of your sister has already met his fate, has he not?" Tywin asked, his voice bar any recognizable emotion.

"I am here as loyal friend and servant of the rightful king, Robert of House Baratheon. By right of conquest and blood the throne is his. Do you contest that, Lord Lannister?" Ned proclaimed loudly. His words earned him many disapproving stares from the men in Tywin's retinue, but the western lord remained unreadable. At least for a few moments, before a sneer spread on his lips.

"Take the cursed throne for your friend, I will not contest it. But don't think that the little Targaryen blood that is left in his veins would make him a good king. But for now I have other things to take care of." And with that Tywin left the throne room, his entire entourage following his every step. Within moments the only people left were from the northern host... and one bald eunuch.

"A terrible tragedy, this whole war," the eunuch said.

Ned was alert, when the man suddenly appeared from one of the other entrances. No one had seen him enter and he doubted that Tywin Lannister even knew that he had been here.

"I don't think we have met before, Lord Stark. My name is Varys, I am... was the Master of Whisperers of the late King Aerys." The man bowed lightly, as he stopped a few feet away from Ned. He was a curious sight, very plump, entirely bald and quite effeminate. But that wasn't what made this man so damn disconcerting. It was his calmness. He was a key servant of the fallen king and was surrounded by his liege's enemies. But it did not disconcert him in the slightest.

"I did not mean to eavesdrop, but I have heard you claiming the throne for the lord of Storm's End. A bold move, especially considering the circumstances." Varys continued.

"I will not sit back and watch the Lannisters take the crown. What they have done here is a dark stain on the real cause for our war," Ned replied ardently.

"Ah yes. But I doubt that Lord Tywin would try to take the crown. It would be an incredibly dumb move, especially considering the fact that there are still so many Targaryens and other people with a better claim left."

"Who survived?"

"Sadly the king and prince Rhaegar are not the only losses to the royal family. The royal heir, young prince Aegon has also been killed. That leaves only Viserys Targaryen as last male Targaryen."

Ned felt a pang of guilt, as he heard that Aegon was dead. The boy was an infant and their quarrel had not been with him. Only Aerys and Rhaegar. He had never intended for the others to come to harm. His own son would be born soon and murdering babes was not what he wanted. They went to war to fight a monster, not to become the monsters themselves.

"What about Prince Rhaegar's daughter? You only mentioned her brother, but she must have been here as well? Has she been captured by the Lannisters?"

"In a way yes, but also no."

"Stop speaking in riddles, you damn snake!" Jon Umber, one of Ned's companions, growled in anger.

Varys only smiled benignly at Umber, before his gaze returned to Ned, "What I wanted to say is that the Princess has survived and is on the run, together with her mother. Surprising enough they are under the protection of the last loyal Kingsguard that had been in the capital. One Jaime Lannister, Lord Tywin's oldest son and former heir. His continued loyalty to the fallen royal family is the reason for his father's sour mood at the moment. I believe he would have rather liked to keep that a secret."

This surprised all men present. One Lannister standing up against the others? Why should Jaime defy his father like this? There was no gain in protecting the princess and her mother. It puzzled Ned, but gave him some solace to know that not all lions were despicable monsters, even though he knew that Robert would not be happy about this. Some of the loyalists might take the survival of Rhaenys and Viserys as a reason to continue fighting. The war had already taken too many lives, it had to end. But Ned did not like the idea of ending it by murdering children and their mothers.

"As it is, Lord Tywin has suffered a severe disappointment, Lord Stark. From what my little birds have told me, it was his wish to ingratiate himself to the new king, by offering him the dead bodies of his hated enemies. Now he has obviously lost that. And his firstborn son..."

"Can you tell us where the Lannister boy has gone?" Ned asked. Maybe he could still ride out and capture the girl. With her as prisoner the other loyalists would be more likely to surrender. And with her in his custody, he might even be able to protect the girl from Robert's wrath. He had no hopes that Robert would spare her otherwise. Ned had seen his friend's hatred of the Targaryens firsthand and there was no doubt that Robert would keep his word. He would not stop until all dragons were dead. For the girl's sake and for the sake of Robert's own reputation.

"Sadly the last days have closed a great many of my eyes for ever. It will take some time to rebuild what had been lost in a single night of cruelty. But we do know that Ser Jaime had last been seen leaving the city on the way south, together with a child and a woman, who were most likely Princesses Rhaenys and Elia."

"Dorne. If he has any brain he will ride for Dorne. It is the only place where Robert's army is at a severe disadvantage." Ned said, worried about the ramifications this would have.

"Aye. The desert would swallow our army and what the sand can't take the Dornishmen will. We would be dead before we reach the first oasis." Umber muttered angrily.

Ned couldn't help himself but agree. Fighting against Dornishmen in their homeland was a task Robert's battle weary army would never be able to survive. Even the Targaryens had been unable to win in the desert, despite their dragons. Dorne was impossible to conquer, impossible to keep. Unless the princess was found before she got to her mother's homeland, Robert would be forced to negotiate peace and the Dornish princes would have their own demands, some that they would not like in the slightest.

* * *

One night and one day Jaime and his charges traveled on horseback, without many stops, without looking back. They had to get as far away from the hellish nightmare that King's Landing had become and all the enemies they had left behind there.

It was only when the night returned, that they finally decided to make a stop. The horses were nearly collapsing and Jaime himself felt his consciousness slipping ever so often. It would only be a matter of time, before he would fall off his horse, which was doubly as dangerous, because he was still holding Rhaenys.

It was just after sunset, when they happened upon an abandoned farmhouse, somewhere half-way out of the Crownlands. It was rundown, but still preferable over a night in the wilderness, at the mercy of wild animals and the weather.

"I've barricaded all the windows and there is only one door. You and your daughter should be safe here. I will guard you for tonight." Jaime said, as he watched Elia, who sat next to what might have been a bed once. The young princess was already asleep. The escape and her near death experience had taken their toll on her.

"And you, Ser Jaime? You need rest as well," Elia chided him gently.

"I have spent longer times without sleep when I helped hunting down the Kingswood Brotherhood. I am fine," Jaime replied, slightly irritated by her tone. He was not one of her children. He was a knight.

"You are a terrible liar, Ser Jaime. Even I can see that you are dead on your feet. So take a rest. I can stay awake for a bit and wake you up before I go to sleep." She walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, in an attempt to push him down. But he resisted the frail woman easily.

"You need your rest more than I. We still have a long way to go I really don't want you to strain yourself too much."

"I may be weaker than most, Ser Jaime, but my state of health means nothing, if we are attacked and you are too tired to raise your sword to defend my daughter. For Rhaenys' sake, take a rest."

"Is that an order?" Jaime asked with a chuckle.

"Does it have to be?"

"We have no idea what is lurking out there, I can't shirk my duty. Not now."

"Why?"

"I beg your pardon?" Jaime was confused. What was this woman on about?

"Why do you do this? First you come and safe me and my daughter, killing several of your father's men in the process. You protect us even against your own family. Now you are here, working yourself into an early grave for us and I can't help but wonder why? Why are you doing this?"

"I am a Kingsguard," he almost winced as he heard himself. What kind of Kingsguard kills his own king? He was anything but the oath-bound knight he just claimed to be. He was a hypocrite.

"Your king is dead, as is his son and grandson. The rebels have more or less won the war and a new king will ascend the throne. Your duty to my daughter's family has ended with Aerys' last breath. So why are you here?"

Now Jaime was truly confused. What did she mean the grandson was dead? He had seen Varys take the boy to safety. Did this mean that the fat man had done it without the princess knowledge? And what about the dead infant he had seen in front of the nursery. This was all too confusing, it was making his head spin.

Apparently Elia had seen his confusion as well, as she looked critically at him. "Are you feeling unwell? You really should rest now."

"No, no. I am alright." Jaime assured her. "But to answer your question. My oath was not to your father-in-law, it was to your husband. He had tasked me with the protection of his family and as long as you draw breath, I will not give up until you are safe."

"Such tremendous loyalty to my husband. But I wonder what has inspired this kind of devotion." It was obvious that her own opinion of Rhaegar Targaryen had been influenced mostly by his greatest shortcomings as a husband.

"You may not believe me, but your husband was truly a great man and would have been a great king. Though I have not been privy to his reasoning, I doubt that taking the wolf girl was just a decision born out of lust. I refuse to believe that all of this has happened because of misplaced passion."

"So you idolize my husband?"

"I serve your husband. Even after his death, I will carry out the task he has given me. Maybe this way I can even redeem myself before the gods and your family."

"What are you talking about? Why would you have to...?"

"I was the one who killed Aerys Targaryen. I have broken my oath as a Kingsguard, but I'll be damned should I break my last promise to your husband," Jaime confessed quickly. He had no idea why he had admitted this. It was the most stupid thing to do, but at least it was the most truthful answer he could give her. But he didn't wait for her to say anything in return, instead he left the small house, to stand guard outside. He was dead tired, but he would not fail his duty.

Jaime was glad that Elia had not followed him after his confession. It gave him much needed time to think. Everything had spiraled out of control and for the first time he felt truly lost and in dire need of guidance. Had he made the right choice? Had he stayed in King's Landing, he would be with his father and possibly even his sister now. Oh how he missed her. He had not seen her in months, ever since their father had taken Cersei back to Casterly Rock. He had joined the Kingsguard on her insistence, so they could be together in the capital... but in the end everything had changed. Now he might never see her again...

And what was he supposed to do now? Sure Princess Elia had insisted that they should go to Dorne. Her family would be able to protect her and her daughter. But Dorne was still far away and it was clear that there would be many pursuers. The rebels would not rest until they had killed every last living Targaryen. But they wouldn't get this one girl. He would rather die than allow for Rhaenys Targaryen to be killed because of the rage of a whore monger like Robert Baratheon.

It didn't take long, before sleep started to overpower him, despite his struggle to stay awake. His body just shut down on its own. Within a few minutes he was fast asleep, leaning against the door of the small house.

* * *

Jaime woke up hours later, when the horses stirred. Something must have scared them, so Jaime jumped up from his place. His back ached from sleeping in a crooked position for too long, but he ignored his discomfort. He was quick to draw his sword, but the moment he had it in his hand, he felt the tip of a spear poking into the soft flesh of his throat. The weapon cut his skin, deep enough to draw blood, but not enough to inflict any serious harm.

"Now look what we have here. A cowardly Kingsguard on the run." Jaime looked up to see a tall man, olive skinned, with dark, viper like eyes. He reminded him of someone, like he had seen him before, but right now none of that mattered to Jaime. Not as long as this man had a weapon at his throat.

Jaime tried to push the spear away, but his attempt was only rewarded by a hit against his head. The man had used the shaft of the spear like a bat, sending Jaime tumbling down to the ground.

"Let me give you a piece of advice, boy, I'm in charge here and should you value your life, you leave that sword on the ground when you try to stand up again." The man was mocking him. His voice, his posture, everything seemed to mock him. It angered Jaime. He was a proud man, the son of one of the most powerful and important lords in all of the Seven Kingdoms. And yet here he was, getting belittled as if he was a squire again.

Despite his better judgment and the pounding of his head, he jumped up again and attacked the man, a fierce battle cry on his lips. He tried to strike the man down, but his movements were sluggish, his muscles protesting angrily, from the lack of rest. It was almost as if the man danced around him, his spear twirling. Every now and then he would hit Jaime with the wooden shaft, but never with the pointed head of the weapon. He laughed mockingly, every time he heard Jaime wince.

The uneven fight continued for some more time, before the man tired of toying with Jaime and sent him back to the ground, with a painful blow against the young knights knees. Jaime ended up in the dirt, with the pointy end of the spear once more pressed against his throat. It was only then that he realized that there were several more men around them. All dressed similar... in typically Dornish garbs and light armor.

"I must confess myself disappointed. I had expected much more from a Kingsguard, especially the youngest one to ever be appointed. But now I can understand why you ran away. So tell me now, Jaime Lannister, why should I spare you, after you have abandoned your duty to the royal family?"

"I did not run away..." Jaime grunted out, still trying to regain his breath. But his body felt so heavy now. Like his limps had suddenly turned into lead.

"Oh, you didn't?" The man asked mockingly, "So that would mean that we are in King's Landing right now. Have you heard him, lads, we have already arrived at the capital. Then this must be the Red Keep. What a magnificent fortress it is!" He pointed at the rundown house, as the men around them started to laugh. But the man's face suddenly turned serious once more, as his dark eyes met Jaime's green ones. "Are you fucking kidding me, Lannister? You abandoned your duty. You abandoned the royal family. My sister and her children!" He yelled in outrage. "I should kill you where you are and leave you here for the animals to feed on your corpse. I..."

"Oberyn! This is enough!" The laughter of the men suddenly stopped and the man's head whipped around so fast, Jaime was surprised that his neck did not snap. Elia had left the house, obviously alerted by the sounds outside. She just stood there, at the door of the house, a stern look on her face and an aura of authority surrounding her, that Jaime had not expected from the frail woman.

"Elia..." Oberyn said breathlessly, his eyes wide. "How..."

"How dare you, Oberyn. How dare you attack the man whom my daughter and I owe our lives to? Once more you run head first into a situation, knowing nothing but what you believe to be the truth."

"Elia, had I known..."

"No, Oberyn. You have not known. But both Houses Targaryen and Martell owe this young knight a great debt and I will not allow you to mistreat him any further. To beat him up like this, after he had gone day and night without rest to protect me and my daughter..." She walked over to Jaime and knelt down next to him. "Can you stand, Ser Jaime?"

"Please give me a moment to regain my strength, princess and I'll be ready to serve you," Jaime said, still overwhelmed by this whole situation. Of all the people in the Seven Kingdoms, they had the unbelievable fortune to happen upon Princess Elia's brother, Prince Oberyn and his small group of guards. Either the gods favored the princess and her daughter or they just had more luck than anyone would have ever imagined.

"Take your time. You can rest now, my wayward brother and his men will protect us." Elia told him kindly, before she stood up again to face her brother.

"Elia, what is the meaning of this? We heard that the capital has fallen. Refuges on the roads told us that the Lannisters have betrayed the king and sided with the rebels."

"That is the truth, Oberyn. Tywin Lannister has turned against the king and sacked King's Landing as a welcome gift for the rebel leader."

"Then what is that man's son doing here?" Oberyn sounded furious, but a harsh look from Elia cowed him immediately. It amused Jaime to see this. It was obvious that he wasn't the only one here who often deferred to his beloved sister... though he doubted that Oberyn's and Elia's relationship was as... far reaching as Cersei's and his.

"Ser Jaime defied his father and killed three of his men, to protect Rhaenys and me. Without him, they would have raped and killed me. Without him they would have butchered Rhaenys... as they had done with Aegon..." Her voice forsook her, as she spoke about her son. Tears escaped her eyes and she would have likely broken down, had her brother not engulfed her in a tight hug.

Again Jaime felt incredibly guilty, because it was obvious that Elia had not been involved in Varys' little plot. Just what was that bald eunuch doing? And what would happen to Aegon, should he reveal now that the prince was alive? Would Varys do something to him? Or would the boy come to harm because his survival would be revealed long before he was able to defend himself. It was tearing Jaime apart, to see Elia suffer like this, but he resolved that he needed to know more about Varys' plans, before he should make a decision on this matter. But he cursed the eunuch and his damn plots.

"Hush, don't cry, Elia. They will pay for what they have done." As Oberyn said this, he looked down at Jaime, his face filled with grim determination. "And you, Lannister, what will you do? Will you continue on the path you have chosen and help us avenge those we have lost, even if that means that you have to fight against your own family?"

"My loyalty is to the royal family. Their enemies are mine," Jaime replied. What choice did he have now... his involvement in Rhaenys' escape was most likely already known, so the rebels would punish him severely. The best he could hope for was the Wall. But he had no intention to take the Black and join that particular group of oath-bound men.

And if only half of the stories about Robert Baratheon's temper and hatred of the Targaryens and those close to them are true, not even the mighty Tywin Lannister would be able to protect his son from harm. Instead of the Wall he might just as well face a death sentence, for prolonging the war by protecting the royal princess.

"Then help the boy up, he can't protect anyone in the dirt." Some of the men, who had come with Prince Oberyn, stepped forward and pulled Jaime up. The young knight staggered for a moment, his sore muscles once more protesting against the strain, but he managed to stand on his own.

"Oberyn, what are we going to do?" Elia asked him, after some moments of tense silence.

"When I heard about what had happened at the Trident, I mustered whatever troops I could find in Dorne and marched towards the capital. But we were too late. We had barely entered the Crownlands, when the first news arrived about what had happened in King's Landing. I left the majority of our men behind and rode day and night to reach the city, so I could negotiate your release... I was too late..."

"Don't feel guilty, Oberyn. I am here now. Please, bring me and my daughter home. To Sunspear. To our brother," Elia said almost hoarsely.

"I will," Oberyn replied with great fervor. "You are safe now. Those rebels won't be able to harm you ever again. Not as long as I draw breath." The prince hugged his sister even tighter now, before he looked over her shoulder, to see his men. "Saddle the horses. We return to Dorne! Lannister, you will ride with me!"

Jaime wasn't sure what he was supposed to think about this whole occurrence. The gods had obviously seen fit to reunite the Martell siblings and to keep the daughter of Rhaegar Targaryen safe. But was this fortunate? For the girl and her mother, yes. But for the whole realm... he had no idea. But he hoped that the gods would favor him equally and allow him to see Cersei again. He yearned for her comforting presence now more than ever.

* * *

"What you have done was unwise, Robert." Lord Jon Arryn chided worriedly. "Demanding the death of a four year old girl will not win you any sympathies."

"And what do you want me to do? Sit here, getting fat and complacent, as the Targaryen whore sits in that damn desert, planning my downfall while spitting out sons that will challenge my family for ever? We fought to get rid of the Targaryens and I will not stop until they are all wiped out." Robert Baratheon yelled angrily.

The lord of Storm's End and soon to be next king of the Seven Kingdoms paced through the large, abandoned throne room of the Red Keep. He had only arrived two days before, just in time to see the last smoking ruins, before all the fires that had started during the sacking had been put out. The man had ascended the stairs to the Red Keep with a look of grim satisfaction on his face, that had grown into a full blown grin, when the lord of the Westerlands presented him with the dead bodies of Aerys and Aegon Targaryen. But his mood turned sour a mere day later, when after much frustrating inquiries, the Lannisters had admitted that Princess Rhaenys and her mother had escaped and were still on the run. Worse yet, the scouts had reported that the princess was now protected by a small army of Dornishmen. Four thousand men, light infantry and men on horseback.

"Do you want to start your reign with the stain of being a child killer? We fought against a monster, we did not fight so you could turn into one yourself. See reason, Robert. Do you really believe that your father would have wanted this?"

"Don't talk about my father. He died because of that damn monster he called a cousin. The Targaryens have taken everything from me. Everything! My father, my mother, the love of my life. And your want to allow them to get away with all of this? You want me to walk away from this and allow for their madness to continue?"

"I want you to see reason, Robert. Remember what we have been fighting for. We wanted to free the kingdom from the madness of Aerys Targaryen. We wanted to get justice for Eddard's family and to free his sister. But this war was never about murdering little children and should you continue on this path, you will loose everything." The old lord of the Vale looked imploringly at his former ward, desperately hoping that Robert would not loose himself completely in his hatred for Rhaegar Targaryen. All of them had lost too much in this war, he did not wish to lose Robert as well. But the path the soon to be king was about to choose, had only one possible end.

Robert groaned in frustration, as he tried to find the words to make his mentor understand why he could not stop now. But the words eluded him. He was a man of action, a warrior. He had no mind for games of words, that was why he had chosen Jon Arryn as his Hand.

"The girl dies!" Was all that came to his mind in the end.

"Then you will doom us all. To kill her brother had been a great mistake, but some lords would have understood your reasoning. But to kill a girl, who has the least claim the throne, just because of her father... do you have to give every lord in the Seven Kingdoms a reason to despise and renounce you? Have you learned nothing from your spat with Eddard?"

"He will come around. He always does. Once he has freed Storm's End and returns with Lyanna from wherever that bastard has brought her, everything will be fine."

Jon could only shake his head, as he heard Robert's almost infantile reasoning. Did he really believe that his problems with Eddard would disappear just like that? That Ned would even allow him to marry his sister, after he had left in such outrage. Never before had he seen the usually quiet boy so furious. Eddard was an honorable and righteous man and to see Robert smile because of the murder of a little boy had been too much to bear. Both of them had been too stubborn to change their ways and Jon feared that Eddard's and Robert's friendship might have taken irreparable damage.

"The war is over, Robert. Stop fighting now, while you still can. The Tyrells and the Martells will see reason and stop opposing you as their new king. Don't throw everything away for a petty grudge against a child."

"Over? OVER? This war will not be over, as long as a single Targaryen still draws breath. Rhaegar's daughter and his brother are still alive and they will come to challenge me in the future!" Robert roared in anger.

"Calm yourself, Robert," Jon scolded angrily. He was a patient man, but even his patience had its limits. If Robert could not understand that his war is over, than making him king would be the worst of all possible outcomes for the rebellion. "You are in no position right now to continue this war. Your army is tired, your men want to go home to their families. The realm has bled enough, Robert. Your enemies are just as tired. End this war now, before your enemies renew their resolve and your allies abandon you."

His words had obviously stuck a chord, as Robert visibly deflated. Maybe his falling out with Eddard had left a more profound impression on the stubborn warrior than Jon had expected at first. Maybe he would be able to see reason.

"You need to calm down and prepare yourself for your new role as king, Robert. This war is over, now we need to restore order as quickly as possible."

"I know. I know. You've told me that enough times since we have arrived here." Robert replied, sounding extremely frustrated.

"We need to talk about your coronation. We should have that as soon..."

"No. I won't wear that damn crown, unless I have my Lyanna with me as my queen."

"You are being unreasonable here, Robert. It might take months before Eddard returns," Jon said. But even that meant if Eddard would return. He might just as well march straight back towards the North. Nothing was for sure any more, after the fight Robert and his best friend had. "The longer the throne remains vacant, the harder it will be to restore order. You will be crowned king as soon as possible. Then we will talk about your queen."

"Isn't being king about doing what I want?" Robert groaned.

The belligerent lord of Storm's End sounded more like the child Jon remembered, than the man the rebellion had turned him into. Jon could not suppress the small smile, "Sadly for you, being a good king is nothing about only doing what you want, but what needs to be done for the well being of the realm."

Robert looked dejected, but did not protest. They all had seen first hand what suffering a bad king could cause. They had just gotten rid of the mad king and Robert had no intention to end up being worse than that man... but deep down he wished that Ned would have taken the throne when he had the chance to... now it was too late. He was trapped.

* * *

**A/N: Well this is all for today. Much has changed because of Elia's survival and in fact the changes for the story would be so far reaching, that sometimes I wonder if I should call this a rewrite, since it would be very different.**

**One of the major points that was often critized in the original of this story was the way Ned was treated by Rhaenys and those on her side. I can only say that I would suddenly change it make him best buddies with her and Jaime, but there are changes. One major change would be the fact that it is not publicly known that Jaime was the one who killed Aerys. It will be his Damocles Sword so to speak. But that also means that Ned has less reason to dislike Jaime, which opens an avenue for a much more... cordial and respectful relationship. Of course they would still be enemies, but their interaction and that of Jaime's family with the northern lord would be influenced by this.**

**But all this is just playing around with ideas. At the moment there is only the prolog, but I am not sure whether I will ever get to rewrite the whole story.**


	3. Prolog III

**Alright. So far the reactions to this rewrite have surprised me greatly. I had not expected so many views and reviews, considering how people reacted to the old story. Well maybe the changes in the storyline are enough to appease most of those who disliked the old story. However, I can say that the positive reactions so far have been a suitable incentive to continue with this little experiment. But I want to warn you all beforehand, the changes to the storyline, especially those in this chapter, make this an almost completely new story, based on the old one.**

**Well, I hope you will enjoy this chapter...**

* * *

He could barely remember a day when he had been in such a hurry before. During the rebellion and all its battles, he had tried to remain calm and collected, to act with deliberation. He had never been as rash and hot blooded as Brandon and Lyanna. Now spurred on his horse, to go as fast as possible. They had ridden for weeks to get here, to find his sister and now that the dreaded tower was finally in sight, his patience was running thin.

The whole ordeal with the mad king had already cost too many members of his family their lives and he just wanted to save at least one of them. He wanted his sister back. To bring her back to Winterfell, where he would be able to keep her safe. He knew Robert would not like it, but now, he just wanted to keep her from all possible sources of grief and danger, which sadly included his friend as well. After he had seen Robert's vicious side, he was no longer sure if it would be right to give his sister to him. Especially after all she had to endure.

Now he just hoped to find Lyanna, alive and well, and that her captors would surrender peacefully. He was tired of spilling blood. The war was over, the Targaryens had been chased away and even their staunchest allies had ceased all fighting. The Tyrells surrendered without a fight and returned to their homes, though their lord, Mace Tyrell, had yet to bend the knee to his new king. Somehow, Ned could not shake the feeling that this would not happen at all, unless Robert gave them something return.

Then there were the Martells, the last revolting noble house in Westeros. Their quarrel with Robert was not because of his enmity with the late king and crown prince, but because of the attempted murder of one of their own, Elia Martell and her young children. They had succeeded in killing Elia's son, but her daughter survived. But for how long? Robert had demanded her death the moment he had heard of her survival. Moreover, Ned knew how stubborn Robert could be, especially when his anger influenced his decisions.

Even now, Ned was on their land. Dorne. The southernmost of the Seven Kingdoms. Of all the places, Rhaegar Targaryen had to bring Lyanna to the home kingdom of the wife he had shamed. However, Ned did not ponder this for longer than necessary. He had only brought a few men to enter Dorne undetected. Should they be found their lives would be forfeit.

But he dared not think about that outcome. All that mattered now was the tower ahead and his sister inside. He would finally see Lyanna again, hold her again. He would not let her out of his sight again, unless she was with someone he trusts. Yet he also knew that he would have might have to fight to reclaim his sister. Three members of the Kingsguard were still nowhere to be found, though rumor had it, that Prince Rhaegar had given them as special assignment, which could just as well be to guard Lyanna, here in this tower. He hoped that he was wrong.

His hopes were shattered, the moment he entered the tall building. The moment he his eyes had adjusted to the dim light inside, he saw himself face to face with one knight he had hoped to never be forced to face in battle. Ser Arthur Dayne, the famed Sword of the Morning and a close friend of the late prince. Of all members of the Kingsguard, he was likely the most dangerous to face. Not to mention that there could be two more men of similar prowess, waiting to strike.

"You are late, Lord Stark," Ser Arthur said wearily. He made no move that would have indicated the will to fight, but Ned knew better than to underestimate this man. The great-sword on the table next to him was too dangerous to take any chances.

"Your king is dead, his family has been scattered and their claims to the throne are null and void. We do not have to fight here, it would be a futile waste of life, Ser Arthur," Ned implored the man.

"I agree. There is no point in us fighting," Arthur conceded.

"Then step aside and let me see my sister. You have no right to keep her here!"

"I am not the Lady Lyanna's keeper, nor am I here to stop you, but there is something you should know first." Arthur said, as he stepped aside and allowed Ned to approach the stairs. His northern companions, though, stayed behind, their eyes never straying far from the possible foe.

Ned already dreaded the answer he would receive, but he asked nonetheless, "And what is it you wish to tell me?"

Arthur hesitated a moment, his eyes roaming the room, before he spoke, "The lady Lyanna is dead. She died less than a day ago, waiting for your arrival." He stayed close to his weapon, ready to defend himself, should the northern group decide to attack him because of this.

However, they stayed put, as they watched their lord, who looked as pale as a ghost now. Ned could not believe what he had heard. After all he had done, after all he had sacrificed, Lyanna was gone. Dead.

"How?" Ned asked almost hoarsely.

"Your sister died in childbirth. She lost too much blood and even a Maester would have been able to save her life. I am sorry," Arthur said apologetically. He was truly sad, for he had come to like the girl, after the time they had spent here, in the middle of nowhere. Her death was the bleak end to a great tragedy and had it not been for the survival of Rhaegar's wife and daughter, he would have been tempted to seek the last honor for a Kingsguard and die for his liege. But he had a duty he couldn't shirk.

Ned remained speechless for a long moment. He just stood there, at the bottom of the stairs, his gaze empty, his eyes unfocused. He looked truly lost and Arthur could only pity the man, who had lost almost his entire family due to the foolish decision of Rhaegar and the lady Lyanna.

"And the child?" Ned finally asked, after he had quelled his emotions enough to speak.

"A boy. Stillborn. My knight brothers are taking the dead boy to a crypt where he can rest with his ancestors." Arthur told the man calmly. Even in this tense situation, he marveled how easy it was for him to lie about this. However, this was a secret that should better remain untold.

"I... is she..."

"She is up there. I dared not move her and waited for your arrival."

"Were you there... when she died?"

"I was, yes." Arthur nodded.

"Did she... say anything?" Ned asked almost inaudibly.

Arthur hesitated to answer this. He had been there. He had listened to her last wish... and he had ignored it. She had wanted her son to grow up in Winterfell, with her family. But he and Lord Commander Hightower had come to the decision that a Targaryen son should not under any circumstances be handed over to any of the rebel lords. Not even to his mother's family. The risk was too great. After what had happened with Aegon, he dared not give the boy to Ned Stark. He doubted that the man could protect the boy from Robert Baratheon's wrath.

"She said... she was in delirium after the birth of her child. The pain and blood loss had gotten to her. She had barely realized that her babe was dead." Arthur could see how Ned flinched, as if every word was a sword that struck him. "But I can tell you that she regretted her decision to leave without telling anyone. She had never wanted for any of this to happen."

"She went willingly?" It was not Ned, but one his companions. The man had an outraged look on his face and Arthur worried whether the man would lash out or not, should he continue.

"Aye. Prince Rhaegar asked her to come with him and she did so out of her own free will. She was but a love-struck girl and the prince offered her a chance to escape the cage that her marriage to the Baratheon boy would have been."

The outraged man wanted to approach Ned, but his other companions held him back.

"Calm yourself, William. This is not the place and we do not know whether this man has spoken the truth. He could be lying for all we know. He is the bastard prince's friend after all!" One of the other men yelled at William.

"Yes, Rhaegar was my friend. However, as a knight, I would have never condoned the abduction of a noble lady. It would have been a violation of all my oaths. Believe me or not, it is your decision. I have nothing more to say." Arthur replied ever so calm.

The knight knew that his part was done and now it was his duty to ride for Sunspear to guard Rhaegar's surviving children. Therefore, he grabbed his sword and went to leave. None of the northerners dared to stop him, before Ned spoke up once more.

"Ser Arthur!" Ned called. The knight turned towards the grieving man, his face impassive, "Prince Rhaegar... did he love my sister?"

"The prince was... fond of your sister. I was not privy to his thoughts, so I cannot tell you why he chose her of all the women he could have had, but I have seen men in love and the prince was not one of them. I am sorry." This time he left without allowing another interruption. The sooner he got away from these people, the better. Now he would finally be able to leave this cursed tower. Rhaegar had called it the Tower of Joy, an ironic name for a building that had housed on of the persons who have caused so much sorrow. Sunspear would be a welcome sight to his eyes... but first he would return home. After all that had happened, his family deserved to know that he was still alive.

* * *

"Not even once?" Oberyn asked, disbelieve plainly visible on his face, as he looked at the young knight on the horse next to him.

"Not even once," Jaime confirmed resolutely. "I had my duties, there was no time. And my oath prohibited it."

Oberyn laughed boisterously as he heard Jaime's answer. "You actually want to make me believe that there has never been any pretty girl at the court that has caught your fancy? Don't lie to me, I was your age once and believe me, the urge gets stronger the older you become."

"Some of us are just better at controlling their urges," Jaime retorted. He smirked, as he enjoyed the rather carefree company of the Dornish prince.

Ever since Princess Elia had convinced her brother that Jaime, unlike his family, was a true friend of Dorne and her life savior, the older prince had taken the young knight under his wing. Or as he had called it, he had taken up the duty to educate the sheltered knight in the Dornish way of life.

"You can't tell me that you have never been with a woman. I know that your sworn brother over there was at least half a dozen bastards running around. And that are only those they could find," Oberyn said, as he pointed towards Se Oswell Whent, who rode next to Princess Elia and Princess Rhaenys.

The knight in question showed a feral grin, as he replied, "Our oath is to never take a wife and sire children. Never did any of that. The whores remained unmarried and I know nothing about those supposed bastards, so no harm done I suppose."

The Lord Commander, who was still within earshot of their conversation looked displeased at Ser Oswell, not that the knight would have bothered with the old man's opinion. But Ser Gerold just shook his head at the antics of his sworn brother and muttered something that none of them could understand.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout the old man. He is just angry that he did not find the loophole first! All those wasted years of celibacy, only to find out that he should have fucked the countless whores of King's Landing while he still had the stamina for it." Ser Oswell said, before he let out a barking laugh.

The frown on Ser Gerold's face only deepened, but the man simply decided to ignore the boisterous knight under his command. Instead he steered his steed towards the small carriage, which housed a young wet-nurse from a keep they had passed on their way. And with the woman was the reason for the tensions between the Dornishmen and the two Kingsguards, who had joined them, as they made their way through the Prince's Pass.

"Forget those crazy fools," Jaime's attention snapped back towards Oberyn, who only regarded Ser Gerold with a dark glare, before his features turned more jovial, as he looked at him. "So tell me, have you never been with a woman before?"

"Not after I have taken my vows..." None but Cersei. Only Cersei. His sister had always been the only woman he had loved and been with. He had done everything for her. He even joined the Kingsguard and forsook his birthright, so he could be closer to her. Not that this had done them any good. He wondered whether his life might have taken a different turn, had he stayed at Casterly Rock, as his father's heir and waited for fate to run its course. However, none of that mattered now. He was in Dorne, far away from his sister and all he had known before.

"Then we should remedy this sometime soon," Oberyn said laughing, "but first things first. Look ahead."

Jaime's gaze followed where Oberyn had pointed. There just ahead of them they could see a city rising from the desert. Towers gleaming in the sun, standing tall above the sand, as if in defiance of the destructive nature of the land around.

"Behold, Sunspear, the ancient seat of House Nymeros Martell and the jewel of Dorne." Oberyn proclaimed proudly.

"We are home," Jaime heard Princess Elia say, who rode not far behind them. There was a happiness and relief in her voice. Jaime actually could not remember hearing her like this ever before. He remembered the burden of living in the Mad King's shadow, but maybe he had underestimated the toll it had taken on the Dornish princess.

"It may not be as rich and gilded as your famous home at Casterly Rock, but it is one of the most marvelous places in the Seven Kingdoms," Oberyn told Jaime. "Well Sunspear and the Water Gardens, but we should avoid the latter for now. In Sunspear we can defend Rhaenys much better."

"Casterly Rock may be golden, but it was hardly ever a home," Jaime muttered.

He had no idea whether Oberyn and Elia had heard him, but if they had neither of them had felt prudent to comment on it. No, instead there was a new rush to them. The rush to get back home. With Sunspear in sight, their burden did not weigh as heavily as it had done before. They were safe, for now.

Jaime felt amazed, as they finally passed the first gate and entered the large fortress. Three walls, lined up behind each other, with countless houses and bazaars in between. Though this place was nowhere near as big as King's Landing, Jaime was sure he would have lost its way in this labyrinth of paths and houses. But luckily the three gates they passed allowed them quick access to the Old Palace, from where the Martells had ruled Dorne since the time before Aegon's conquest.

"You see the towers, Ser Jaime," Elia said, as they passed the third gate and approached the palace. "They were built in the way the Rhoynar built their cities. Oberyn has told me stories about his travels on the eastern continent, where he had seen the rhoynish ruins, which look so much like our home."

For a moment, Jaime wondered why she had told him that. Was this meant as a bad premonition? All that was left of the old Rhoynar kingdom are ruins along a river. Could... would Dorne face the same fate, because of Rhaenys' survival and the barely controlled man who had stolen the throne? He hoped not. For his own sake as much as for the princess'.

"You see those towers? One is the tower of the Sun, the other is the Spear tower." Oberyn said, as strange glint in his eyes. "Depending on what my brother says, you will stay in one of them. Which one... that is up to Doran."

Jaime was sure that he was missing some very important information here, but it did not look like either of the Martell siblings would care to elaborate on that statement. But the disapproving look Elia shot her brother only worried him more.

"Come, Doran must be waiting and though he is a patient man, we shouldn't make him wait for too long." Oberyn soon lead them through the hallways of the Tower of the Sun. Polished marble floors and windows made of leaded glass, lead to a giant, domed room, which housed the thrones of Dorne. Jaime had marveled at the sight, had it not been for the presence of a man on one of the thrones, whose sheer aura commanded respect. It was as if the entire attention in the room was solely focused on him.

"Brother, we have returned. And with better news than we had dared hope when I had left." Oberyn proclaimed loudly, as he approached the thrones.

His brother, Doran Nymeros Martell, sat upon the throne of Dorne, his face pensive, as he watched the arrivals. His gaze stayed on Jaime for longer than the young knight would have felt comfortable with. He was not sure how much the ruling Prince of Dorne knew about the events in King's Landing, but Jaime knew for sure that for his own fate depended on Doran's judgment and whether or not Elia and Oberyn would support him.

"So I see, Oberyn." Doran said, before his gaze finally settled on Elia and Rhaenys. His features softened, as he spoke "I can't tell you how glad I am to see both you and your daughter alive, Elia. I only wish that your son could be here with us as well. But rest assured his fate will not go unpunished."

Again, Jaime had to hide his guilt, knowing that Aegon was not as dead as his family believes him to be. He wondered whether he should speak up about this or not. But in the end, he knew that revealing it now, here of all places, would cause more damage than good for him.

"You should rest now, Elia. Rest assured that everything will be taken care of. You are safe now." Doran said reassuringly. However, the man made no move to stand up from his throne, no sign that he really wanted offer comfort except with words. It was odd to Jaime, for he would have rushed to his sister and held her close, never letting her go again, had they been in such a situation. But it was obvious that Doran's relationship with his siblings was far more reserved. Maybe it was just the age difference, or maybe he just lacked the background information to understand this at all, but to Jaime the Dornishmen seemed very odd indeed.

"Thank you, brother... Maybe it would be best for my daughter and me to get some rest. We have traveled for so long and it has tired us out." It was plain obvious that the princess just wanted to get away from what would soon become a rather intense argument.

She shot the Kingsguards a dark look, as they stood a good deal away from her and Rhaenys guarding the wet-nurse with the infant they had brought. But knights had not protested, when the princess, incensed by the duty they had been given by her unfaithful husband, all but ordered them to stay away from her and her daughter, citing that all the protection she needed would be provided by her brother and Ser Jaime, the only surviving Kingsguard she trusted. Or so she said, Jaime was not sure if she meant it that way, but it was comforting to know, that she trusted him with her daughter's life.

"But of course. You can take Rhaenys to the nursery. Arianne and Quentyn would surely love to see their cousin again. Mellario should be there as well." Doran said almost dismissively. But Elia was obviously glad for this chance to escape and left quickly with her daughter.

"Now that we no longer have to watch out for the emotions of their fair and young, we should get to business," Oberyn announced, as he stepped forward, purposely or not, placing himself between Doran and Jaime, blocking the young knight at least partly from sight. "Now you may remember these two honorable men. Ser Oswell Whent and Lord Commander Gerold Hightower of King Aerys' Kingsguard."

Jaime wondered why he had been left out, but he did not comment. If there was one thing he had learned from his father, it was to see when a very situation was about to turn from tense to destructive. Moreover, the moment Oberyn and Doran turned their attention towards the two knights; it seemed as if all seven hells would suddenly freeze.

"Prince Doran, it is an honor to be here at your..."

"These two honorable men have been unflinchingly loyal to the late Prince Rhaegar, even going as far as protecting his paramour and their bastard child, when they should have been in King's Landing, protecting the royal family," Oberyn interrupted Ser Gerold, before the old knight could even finish one sentence. "And now they have brought this very child, this blight upon our sister's honor, to our home." It was almost as if the prince had preserved all his anger during their travel through Dorne, only to unleash it upon those two now, in front of Prince Doran. His words were filled with a viciousness that had not been there before. However, considering his reputation, this reaction was in no way unexpected.

"Prince Oberyn, as much as I can understand your resentment, we only did as we were told."

"And you did so in the most exemplary way possible. Be glad that my sister and her daughter survived, for had they died like young Aegon, you two would not have left that damn tower alive."

"Oberyn, this enough," Doran finally said. But the enraged prince only back off with great reluctance. "And about this child. It is Prince Rhaegar's?"

"Yes, my lord," Ser Gerold said.

"And the mother is that northern whore?" Oberyn growled.

"Yes, the boy's mother is Lady Lyanna Stark, the only daughter of the late Lord of Winterfell." Ser Gerold confirmed, placing much emphasis on the word lady.

"And why have you brought him here? Why did you think it would be prudent to bring this child of shame here, to us, to the family his parents have dishonored with their actions?" Doran asked.

"The boy is a Targaryen, so he has to be protected from his enemies. Dorne remains as the only trustworthy ally of House Targaryen. We cannot allow for him to become a target."

"The boy has no place in Dorne. We have no obligation towards him. Only Rhaenys."

"He is Princess Rhaenys' brother," Ser Gerold protested.

"But he is no Martell. He is not of our blood. You want us to keep this boy here, to grow up with his sister, knowing that every time our sister looks at him, she will see the shame she had to endure because of her husband. This boy is the embodiment of all the sins that prince has committed against our House."

"But he is none the less of the same blood as your niece. He deserves to be protected the best way we can offer. The best way you can offer, as loyal servants of House Targaryen." Ser Gerold insisted once more.

Oberyn was about to explode, when Prince Doran quieted him with a harsh glare, "Make no mistake, Ser Gerold, the boy may be of Targaryen blood, but he is a bastard, worthless to the rest of the realm. And I will not punish my sister by having the boy raised next to her daughter. If you insist on him staying here, it will be as a servant of my family. He will be put to work, so he can atone for his parents' sins. And if the gods will it so, he will one day learn of his true parentage."

"A servant? My lord you are jesting. He is a Targaryen, a prince…"

"He is a bastard and this is my last word on this matter. Accept it or leave, it matters none to me." Doran said dismissively.

Ser Gerold was obviously less than enthusiastic about this whole proposition, so it took him a long, tense moment to come to a decision, "Very well, my lord. For the boy's safety, I agree. But you must swear to us that his parentage will be revealed to him as soon as he reaches his adolescence."

"I can agree to that. He shall learn of his shameful origins, once the time is right for him to know."

"Then we will give the boy into your custody, Prince Doran. May we resume our duty to protect the princess now or do you have another wish of us?" Ser Gerold said most begrudgingly. Had he known about what was about to come next, his demeanor would have been much darker, not that it would not turn that way rather abruptly, as soon as the Prince spoke again.

"You will not stay here. You were complicit in an act against the very honor of Dorne and House Martell. You are not welcome here any longer." Doran spoke imperiously.

"We have a duty to the royal family. We have to be close to the princess to protect her!"

"She has every able bodied warrior in Dorne to protect her. She does no need a failing order, who has long passed its prime to stay safe." Oberyn spat.

Jaime was amazed to see both Martell brothers in action, to see them lash out against those who had besmeared their honor. But at the same time Jaime felt bad for his fellow Kingsguards. The Lord Commander was not a bad man, so he did not deserve such animosity. All of them had their orders and followed them as far as they could.

"Lord Commander, if I may," Jaime spoke up, as he was loathe to see the situation escalate further. He had seen how agitated the guards in the room already were, the whole situation would inevitably end in disaster.

"What is it, lad? Now is not the time for your questions," Ser Gerold said, sounding more tired than angry.

"With all due respect, but you can entrust the princess' safety to me. I can and I will protect her with my life, as I had sworn to do."

"You presume much, Lannister. You are too young. Untried and inexperienced as you are, you are unfit to assume such a duty alone."

Oberyn snorted, as he heard Ser Gerold, before he spat, "This inexperienced boy has saved and protected my sister and her daughter, when all you did was sitting around in the mountains, guarding Rhaegar's whore. You should rather follow his example, than lecture him."

"We had our orders and the boy merely got lucky. None of this changes the fact that we are oath bound to protect the royal family!"

"Your oath died with Aerys Targaryen. You are obsolete. Worthless relics of a shattered realm." Oberyn shot back.

"Lord Commander, what about the rest of the royal family? What about Prince Viserys and the Queen? Are they unworthy of your protection?" Jaime asked.

Ser Gerold hesitated for a moment, before he answered, much more subdued than before, "We don't even know if they are still alive. For all we know they are most likely dead. Dragonstone had almost no one left to defend it."

"And if they are alive? How can you just abandon them?"

"What do you want us to do, lad? Go and search for them, hoping to find their scattered remains. If we ever wish to return the throne to its rightful owners, Princess Rhaenys is our only hope."

"Enough. No matter what you say, you, Ser Gerold, and you, Ser Oswell, are hereby banished from Dorne for your crimes against my family. But I will not abandon my duty as a... begrudging ally of the Targaryen family. Let no one besmear the name of my House as oath-breakers. You will be given a ship and a crew to find your missing queen and prince. If you find them, we assure them of our support, in their chosen place of exile. But you will not bring them here."

Ser Gerold seemed torn, as he was clearly sure that Rhaenys was the last Targaryen left... besides her bastard brother. However, in the end the old knight had to accept that he was powerless in his current situation. "Fine, we will search for the queen and her son. And should we find them, we will fulfill out oath to them."

"Good. Then leave, I will send someone to arrange everything for your search," Doran said dismissively.

"And what about Ser Arthur?" Ser Oswell asked pointedly. So far, he had abstained from commenting, but now he was obviously not in the mood to remain silent.

"Ser Arthur is a Dayne of Starfall. He is Dornish nobility and will therefore be dealt with in a different manner, I can assure you." Doran answered coldly.

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Ser Oswell left the throne room swiftly. The lord commander remained for another moment, his gaze now firmly set on Jaime.

"Ser Jaime, you are now the only protection the princess has. May the gods guide you in this foolish endeavor." Then he turned around and followed his fellow knight out of the room.

No one spoke for some time, until the tension in the room had ebbed away. Jaime was now alone with the Martell brothers and their guards in the room. It was not the kind of situation he would have wanted to be in, especially considering that his father's actions had made it very clear that Houses Martell and Lannister are enemies. From past indignities to the attempted murder of Elia Martell, there was little Tywin Lannister could do to damage their relations any further. Jaime just hoped that he would not be the one to pay for his father's decisions.

"Jaime Lannister, firstborn son and former heir of the mighty Tywin. Of all the people to come here, you had not been on the list of those I would have expected. Especially considering your father's decisions... and your own. Making highly questionable decisions does seem to be a Lannister trait."

"Prince Doran, I am aware that my family has committed great wrongs against yours, but please consider, I am not my father and I have not been his son for years. All I am is a loyal servant and protector of the royal family." Jaime tried to appease the prince somehow.

He knew that his best hope would have either been to stay with his fellow Kingsguards or to remain in Dorne and guard the princess. His actions have made him an enemy of the new king and his own options were limited... if he had any options left at all. Just judging by the way that Ser Gerold had looked at him, the man would not be keen on taking him along on the fool's errand to search for the missing queen and the heir to the throne. As the son of a powerful and rich lord he was used to having his way as a young boy, but the more he grew up, the more he felt trapped by the consequences of his own choices. Now, at age seventeen, he had finally found himself in a dead end.

"Don't be so hard on the boy, Doran. Of all those shiny knights, he is the only one who truly deserves the title of a Kingsguard. He has saved our sister and our niece. He stood up against his own family to do this, so the least we can do is to offer him a place at your own court. I will take responsibility for him." Oberyn said, as he walked over to Jaime and placed an arm around the young knight's shoulders. It was a comforting gesture that Jaime was quite thankful for.

He was still amazed how fast his relationship with the infamous Red Viper of Dorne had changed. When they first met, Oberyn had tried to beat him to a pulp with the shaft of his spear. However, the more Princess Elia told her brother about her near death experience, the friendlier the prince became. Oberyn's gratitude for protecting Elia was great and Jaime knew that he would have been the same way, had their roles been reversed. They both loved their sisters dearly and would do anything to keep them safe.

"Kingsguard, that is an obsolete title that has no meaning here." Doran said. "But my family does owe you a great deal of gratitude that cannot be repaid so simply. Nevertheless, know this, for your deeds, you will always have a place here in Sunspear. But your family... understand that the rest of your kin is not welcome in Dorne and should they dare to encroach upon our land and threaten my family ever again, they will pay the price."

"I understand," Jaime replied curtly. It was an understandable reaction. But it also meant that he would not see his sister for a very long time. However, he had made his choices and now he would suffer the consequences.

"Good. Oberyn will be responsible for you during your stay. Let us all hope that your service to our niece will not end in the same tragic way that your service to her father did." Doran said, looking pleased about Jaime's response. The young knight could only guess what schemes the ruling prince of Dorne was planning now... and maybe he really did not want to know. But he had the bad feeling that he would end up in the center of one or two of them. "You may leave now, so you can get settled. You shall have rooms in the Tower of the Sun, befitting of your station."

"Thank you, Prince Doran," Jaime answered, as he bowed slightly.

"Yes, yes. You will love it here. Dorne is the best place to be in the Seven Kingdoms, I can assure you. Our sun is brighter, our wine tastier and women are prettier than those in the other kingdoms. You know, I should introduce you to my daughters, they would be delighted to see a true knight from the royal court." Oberyn said eagerly.

"I was not aware that you are married," Jaime replied, confused by this.

"I am not. One woman alone would never be enough to hold me. My daughters are Sands. Dornish bastards. The loveliest little bastards you will ever meet in fact." Oberyn replied, a proud look on his face. Jaime was surprised by this. Where he came from bastards were seen a stain on their parents' honor. He knew that Dorne handled things differently, but apparently, it was far different from what he had expected.

"You can talk about your daughters at a later time. You and I need to speak in private, Oberyn," Doran said gravely.

Jaime knew that this was his cue to leave, so he simply bowed once more, before he quickly walked out the way he had come, to wait outside for Oberyn. Said prince looked curiously at his brother, as the ruling prince ordered the guards in the room to leave as well.

"When you left without thinking, to save our sister, I was sure that I would lose two siblings, instead of just one. But as usual, you surprise me, Oberyn." Doran said with a tired voice. "Sometimes I wonder why you get away with so much of your unwise decisions. I am not an overly religious man, but when it comes to you, even the greatest non-believer would be tempted to claim divine intervention. Not only did you survive your foolhardy attempt to get our sister free, you actually succeeded. And even better yet, you bring me the son of the man who has insulted and betrayed our family time and time again."

"Jaime is a good lad, you should not judge him for his father's deeds." Oberyn said. He was frowning, as he wondered what his brother was planning now.

"Do not worry about your new friend. I have no intention to harm him. No, I plan to do something that would hurt Tywin Lannister even more than killing his firstborn. I will take his son away from him. I will take his heir and with him the future of House Lannister and turn the boy into a loyal friend of our House. When I am done, Jaime Lannister will renounce his father and openly cause that man's downfall. And when Tywin Lannister is no more than a dishonored beggar in the streets of Lannisport, I shall meet Lord Jaime Lannister at Casterly Rock, so we can feast and celebrate the new alliance of Dorne and the Westerlands in defiance of this new king who threatens our sister."

Oberyn chuckled as he heard that. Doran rarely got this passionate about one of his schemes. "And what do you intend to do to make Jaime comply?"

"For now we have to tie him to us, to Dorne. The Kingsguard is no more and with that, his vows are null and void. So we should see to it that young Jaime marries a young lady of our choosing." Doran replied, a smirk spreading on his face. "And I know exactly the woman we need for that."

* * *

**A/N: So, tell me how you liked it.**

**I have told you all before, that there will be major changes. The survival of the Kingsguards at the Tower and the fact that Jon has not ended up in Ned's custody will change a lot. How all of this will change the game... well you will have to wait and see.**

**The fact that Jaime has saved Elia has also changed his relationship with Oberyn much sooner than it had in the old story. It is a strange friendship, but it has a lot of potential.**

**Well, I have only more thing to add. Though Jaime will still be forced to marry, it won't be Allyria this time. After long and very intense discussions with some ardent fans of the books, I have come to agree with them that Allyria's part in the books indicates that she is likely not Ashara's sister, but her bastard daughter. So in this rewrite Allyria will not become Jaime's wife. Someone else will take her place. You will see that in the next chapter, which will also be the last of the prolog.**

**Hope to see you all again next time.**


	4. Prolog IV

**A new day, a new chapter. Originally I had planned to update last week, but I spent too little time on writing, to provide you with an sufficienty entertaining chapter. I spent my time elsewhere...**

**But now I can give you this new chapter, which is also one of the longest I have written so far. But please don't expect me to write chapters this long for every update, that would be overkill.**

**Before we start I have only one more thing to say. I know that many of those who have read the original version of my story are upset by my choice to choose a different wife for Jaime. I know that you liked Allyria and I like her as well, which is why she will still show up, but not in the way she did before. She won't be Jaime's wife, but merely a companion of Rhaenys. I have chosen a different woman for Jaime, one who will be equally if not more entertaining. And no, it is not Elia. Jaime needs children or else he is worthless for Doran's schemes. Elia can't have children after Aegon's birth had nearly killed her. But I will speak more about this at the end of this chapter...**

**Have fun...**

* * *

"You really believe that this is a good idea? We are about to enter a snake lair and they have every reason to try to kill us for what has happened."

Jon Arryn sighed, as he watched the coast passing by. "I am aware of that. Nevertheless, the realm needs peace and as long as we are unwilling to send them a sign that we do not want to continue with this senseless slaughter, nothing will change. So for now we will have to trust them."

Jon knew he was asking much of the group that had agreed to accompany him to Sunspear, but he genuinely believed that this show of trust would be worth it. The realm needs peace and he would do anything to achieve it. He had to, after his part in the bloody rebellion. They wanted to depose a tyrant and protect those close to them, but everything spiraled out of control. Robert's unending hatred and Tywin Lannister's arbitrary actions still threatened to destroy everything.

"I just hope that you know what you are doing, Lord Arryn. However, I cannot stop worrying about what might happen should we fail."

"Is this really just about the war or is this about another of your brother's schemes? Would you tell me, Ser Kevan?" It was not that Jon Arryn disliked Kevan Lannister on principle, but in recent days the actions of his brother, Lord Tywin, worried the Jon greatly. Despite the marriage Tywin Lannister's daughter to the king, no one could truly tell what the man was willing to do to get what he wants. Moreover, it was clear that there was one thing Tywin wanted more than anything, his son and heir, Jaime Lannister. However, what part had Kevan in those schemes?

The man in question chuckled lightly, though it was with more amusement than he really felt at the moment. "For once in his life, my brother does not have a plan. Not for this. Jaime's actions were... surprising. We had not thought him capable or even willing to go to such lengths for the royal family. I am merely here to talk to Jaime, to find out why he left... and if possible, to convince him to return home, now that you have managed to convince the king to pardon him."

"That is if they even allow you to get anywhere near your nephew."

"That is the big question, yes. Nevertheless, I do hope that are reasonable." Kevan sighed, as he let his gaze wander. They had just passed Greenstone and were now well on their way to Dorne. "We can consider ourselves lucky that Princesses Elia and Rhaenys survived, otherwise the Martells would have never agreed to these talks."

"Yes. Though Robert does not see it, the Princess' survival is rather fortunate for us. The loyalists might have given up sooner, had all of the royal family perished, but his rule would have never been without opposition otherwise. We would have to deal with a rebellion in the shadows. Now we may have the chance to appease our former enemies, because they have a figurehead we know."

"If they want to be appeased," Kevan added thoughtfully.

Jon could not help but agree. The Martells were a family that should not be crossed or taken lightly. He just hoped that they would see reason. For Princess Rhaenys' sake and for the sake of the entire realm. Robert had won the Iron Throne, but not the Seven Kingdoms. Should Jon fail here, everything could just as well fall apart.

* * *

"I missed this. Sitting here, enjoying the sun of Dorne." Elia said, as she sat on one of the many balconies of the Tower of the Sun with her sister-in-law. "King's Landing was hot as well, but it was a suffocating heat. Everything that city was just suffocating. It was like drowning, but the release of death was just out of reach."

Mellario smiled benignly at her husband's sister, as she watched Elia with curious eyes. "Leaving your home is never easy. You always yearn for the place you have known all your life. It is the same for me. Leaving Norvos was hard, but doing it for Doran, the man I love, made it bearable."

"At least you love your husband. I tried so hard, but it never got past a certain fondness... and when he publicly shamed me..." She trailed off, her eyes wandering towards the fountains in the yard below their balcony, where several children were playing under the watchful eye of a blonde knight and several household guards.

"I will never get used to the customs of these lands. Too much scheming and political intrigue for my taste. I don't even want to imagine my daughter getting caught up in this messed up web of lies and betrayal." Mellario said with a deep sigh.

"At least Arianne will never have to leave Dorne. She is your firstborn, she will rule when the time is right. Maybe it gives you some consolation." Elia replied. Arianne was truly fortunate. The girl was outgoing and happy. If only she could keep that happiness, once she has to shoulder the responsibilities of ruling Dorne. Elia had seen her own mother, strong and proud as she was, struggle and eventually break under the burden. She did not want the same for the sweet girl who was currently doing anything she could think of to make Rhaenys smile.

"Women ruling, it is about the only good thing I have found here..." Mellario muttered. "But it makes me wonder, what will happen to your daughter now?"

It was a question Elia had asked herself, ever since they had managed to make it to Sunspear. Before the rebellion Rhaenys' fate had been decided the moment she was born. King Aerys had decreed her fate the very moment he heard that she had been born a girl. Her fate once had a name. Viserys. All to follow the incestuous practices of the Targaryen family. But not anymore. Right now, they were not even sure whether the prince still lives or not and even if he does, Rhaenys will never be his. The princess would have to marry someone truly powerful, someone who can keep her safe and her enemies at bay.

"Rhaenys will survive," Elia replied cautiously, "She has all of Dorne fighting for her if necessary. All that matters is her safety."

Mellario nodded, but she did not look convinced. "Well she does have a rather stunning protector. I heard that he barely leaves her side, unless he is sure she is protected by half of the household guards in the Old Palace."

"Ser Jaime is a great friend to me and my brother and an invaluable protector for my daughter. Without him we would have died. He has sacrificed so much for us, that I can barely believe that all of this is true." A small smile played on her lips, as she watched the young knight in the yard below them. What she said was the truth, he was invaluable and Oberyn had become rather fond of the young Lannister. She as well, to tell the truth. Even Doran seemed to like him, though Elia suspected an ulterior motive behind her oldest brother's actions. She just hoped that Doran's plans would not be Jaime's downfall. Unlike most of his accursed family, the young knight deserved better.

They heard a splashing sound, some indignant cries and childish laughter from below. When they looked, they saw little Quentyn, lying in the shallow water of the fountain and Arianne laughing nearby. Ser Jaime quickly helped the two-year-old boy out of the water, before some servants rushed by and took the child from him. Elia could only guess what had happened and judging by Mellario's disapproving look towards her daughter; it was obvious that the woman had come to the same conclusion. However, other than Mellario, Elia was not angry with the girls for playing a prank on the younger boy; all Elia saw was the smile on Rhaenys' face. The first real smile since the events in King's Landing.

"Oh the girl will be the death of me. Will she ever learn that her two year old brother is not hers to torment." Mellario muttered.

"Don't be too hard on her. Childish rivalries between siblings are a Martell tradition. Just ask Oberyn what we have done to each other when we were younger," Elia said with a laugh.

"And to Doran as well?"

Elia could only shake her head sadly, "No. Never Doran. He was that much older than us and by the time we were old enough to walk and talk, he was already at Salt Shore as a squire."

"How sad. Will my son have to face the same one day? Will Doran send him away to serve some far away lord?"

"Yes. It is tradition. Doran squired at Salt Shore, Oberyn did it at Sandstone and Ser Jaime, as far as I have heard, did it at Crakehall. The day will come when Quentyn will have to leave and squire for some Dornish lord."

"I really don't like your traditions," Mellario muttered.

Elia did not hear it, though, as a servant had appeared and whispered something to her. Her face lit up with a smile, before she said, "I am sorry, but I have to go. Someone important to me has finally arrived and I have to meet her."

* * *

Oberyn was once more alone in the throne room with his brother, as they discussed their further plans for the days ahead. There was still much to be done and their family was far from safe, but neither of the Martell brothers would back down. Unbent, unbound, unbroken. Until the very end.

"Do you really think that this is a good idea? I am all for destroying Tywin Lannister, but antagonizing him when we are not yet ready to take him down is a dangerous gamble," Oberyn frowned, as he paced in front of his brother's throne.

Doran just sat there, looking contemplative. "We need to bind Jaime Lannister to Dorne and marriage is the best way to do it. But we need someone who can handle the intricacies of court intrigue that the Lannisters are so inordinately fond of."

"And her family will agree to this?"

"Why should they not? The girl has disgraced herself in the eyes of every lord outside of Dorne. The rumor alone had destroyed her, if the truth gets out, she would be ruined. Marrying her to an heir of a major family is far more than she could have ever hoped for." Doran replied.

"Not to mention that it would infuriate Tywin Lannister. If those rumors are true, of course."

"They are. He did break off all negotiations with the Tullys when the younger daughter gave herself to that dolt from the Vale. Had it not been for the tense situation with the king, Westerlands and Riverlands would have been at each others throats for insulting the honor of House Lannister, by offering them damaged goods."

Oberyn snorted as he heard that, "Honor, but of course. I've only ever met one honorable Lannister and there are quite a lot of them at Lannisport and Casterly Rock." Oh he had not forgotten how Tywin Lannister had treated him and his sister, long ago, when they had come to further the negotiations their mother had started with Lady Joanna. "Nevertheless, you should at least inform Jaime about this, before dropping the girl on him. His sheltered little self might not be ready to deal with the likes of Ashara Dayne. He has just survived the prospect of a life in celibacy."

"He will hear soon enough. And I believe they have waited long enough." He motioned for the guards at the large doors of the room, to let their guests in. The guards complied immediately.

An armored knight entered, followed by a young woman with a small girl on her arms. The man and the woman were obviously weary from their long travel to Sunspear; however, the little girl looked around curiously, her eyes shining with great interest. Eyes that all three of them had in common. The rare amethyst colored eyes of House Dayne.

"Oh great, she brought the child as well... this will make everything that much easier..." Oberyn muttered, as he approached them. "Arthur," he greeted the knight curtly, barely looking at him, before he got closer to Ashara and kissed her on both cheeks, "I can't tell you how glad I am to see you, Ashara. Elia is in dire need of a good friend."

"Oberyn, it is not your place to talk about me like this." Elia chided him, as she entered the room from a side door.

Ashara's face lit up as she saw her friend. She handed the young girl to her brother, before she quickly approached Elia and hugged her friend. "You cannot believe how relieved I was when I heard about your survival. When the news had arrived that King's Landing had fallen... I feared that you had perished with your family."

"I survived, though I had already given up all hope, when my savior came to bring me and Rhaenys to safety. Without Ser Jaime I would not be here, neither would be my daughter."

"He did the Kingsguard proud," Arthur said solemnly.

"At least one of your lot did," Oberyn countered. Ge would not forget that Arthur had been one of those, who had abandoned their duty to the royal family, to protect the whore of Rhaegar Targaryen.

"You have to introduce me to your savior, so I can thank him for what he has done," Ashara said, ignoring Oberyn and her brother.

"You will meet him this evening, when he will join us for dinner. And you should better get along with him, for you will spend a great deal of time in the presence of Jaime Lannister." Doran announced. He had stayed in the background so far, but he wanted to get all of this over with. They were still expecting more guests, from Highgarden... and King's Landing. He did not know if all of them would arrive on this day, but he knew that they would end the tranquility in Sunspear.

"I beg your pardon?" Ashara asked, looking quite flustered.

"I see that your brother's have seen no need to inform you beforehand. You are to marry the heir to Westerlands, Ser Jaime Lannister, who has recently left the fold of the former Kingsguard to resume his place as the future lord of Casterly Rock," Doran replied calmly. However, the woman looked anything but calm.

"You must be joking. I am not even considering marriage at the moment. I have no desire to marry at all, after all that has happened!" Ashara countered hotly.

"Peace, my friend. This has not been done to slight you. My brother and your father have come to this agreement to forge a future pact between Dorne and the Westerlands, so we can weaken the clutch the Usurper and his ilk have on the realm. The day will come when you are to rule the richest of the Seven Kingdoms, side by side with a man I have come to respect greatly. No harm will ever befall you." Elia tried to appease Ashara, but the woman remained mutinous.

"And my daugh…"

"Your… daughter will be well taken care of. Only few know of her parentage and your father has agreed to pass the girl off as your youngest sibling, as you have, so conveniently, claimed whenever anyone has asked you about her so far. Her existence will not burden your marriage and the girl will grow up as a Dayne, not as a Sand, as would be customary for an unclaimed bastard." Doran announced.

Ashara still looked rather angry at the Dornish prince and would have told him her opinion in very clear, less appropriate words, had it not been for the presence of her daughter in the room and for her friend in front of her, who looked admonishing, while shaking her head.

"I will not be separated from my girl. You may claim that she is my sister, but I shall not give her away. She will remain with me! I'd rather give up all I have, before I abandon my Allyria."

"That is for your future husband to decide," Doran did not seem to care either way. All he needed was for Ser Jaime to marry a Dornish lady with ties to his family and sire children. The heirs of the Westerlands have to be born in Dorne, under his influence. It would be the first step towards Tywin Lannister's downfall.

"I..." Ashara wanted to argue, but Elia stopped her.

The Dornish princess looked intently at her friend and shook her head once more. "Not here, Ashara. Come; let us talk calmly about this, without the oppressing presence of our brothers.

Ashara looked unconvinced for another moment, but a look into the determined faces of the men around her, quickly changed her mind. She nodded mutely, before she retrieved her daughter from Arthur and quickly followed Elia out of the room.

"Now that was the kind of reaction I had expected," Oberyn said with a chuckle. "Poor Jaime, he has no idea what he is getting into by marrying her... well once he finds out that he is marrying her, that is."

Arthur was obviously not sure what he was supposed to think of his sister's fate. Was it a good or a bad thing for her to marry the heir of Tywin Lannister? The boy had proven himself a good and loyal man, his father, though, had done the complete opposite. However, Arthur knew that his parents had made their choice. It was the best possible match they could hope for. After Ashara's dishonor, after what had happened with the Stark boy at Harrenhal, marrying the heir of a lord paramount would have been a ludicrous ambition for her. But here she was, about to marry a Lannister of all people. Nevertheless, the bride to be was not happy about it and from what he had heard, this match was not the choice of the boy either.

"We should get back to business here. We have yet to discuss your punishment, Arthur, for your part in dishonoring my sister, who would have been your future queen." Doran said gravely. The knight in question looked solemn, but did not say a word in defense of his actions. Doran knew that Arthur would be just as stubborn as the other two. "So you have nothing to say about it? No excuses for your actions? No, I have only followed Rhaegar's orders, as your sworn brothers had claimed here weeks ago?"

"I have heard about the banishment of Ser Gerold and Ser Oswell. My words would be the same as theirs, so why delay the inevitable, when you have already made your decision regarding my punishment?"

Oberyn chuckled, as he walked around in the room. Soon it was almost as if he was prowling around the knight, waiting for a chance to strike. "Unlike with your brothers, you are Dornish. You know our customs; you know that Rhaegar's actions were inexcusable. No one here is against taking a paramour, but this... this went too far."

"And what do you want me to say? I was not privy to Rhaegar's thoughts and plans. I only know that he had not truly loved the Stark girl. He was fond of her, but there were other reasons for his actions. Reasons that we will never know, now that Rhaegar is dead."

"You don't have to find excuses for this man. His final fate is befitting of his actions and we will not mourn him here. However, for your own actions, you have lost our trust. Were you not the son of a long-standing vassal of my family, I would banish you, as I did banish your brothers. So you shall be given one last chance. You will not get another." Doran looked darkly at the knight, before he continued, "You are to serve my niece as you did her father. You will be sworn in as Rhaenys personal guard and protector, under vows similar to those you had sworn as a Kingsguard. Ser Jaime is free of the burden of the white cloak, but you will never taste that freedom."

There wasn't much of choice here for Arthur, so he agreed readily. It was a better fate than he had expected. His sworn brothers had been banished from Dorne and forbidden to protect the princess, at least he would get the chance to guard Rhaegar's daughter, his last remaining true-born child... and the boy as well...

* * *

Strike upon strike hailed down on the unsuspecting wooden training post, as a young knight continued his relentless onslaught. Either the post or the wooden training sword would break very soon, but he did not care about such menial details. He needed to cool off, to dull himself by pushing his body past any reasonable boundaries. To collapse, to embrace the blissful state of unconsciousness, free from his messed up reality. Maybe then he would find solace in the arms of the only person he longed to see... even if it would only be a fleeting dream.

All Jaime Lannister wanted at the moment was to be with his sister. His beloved twin. Cersei. The one he would give up everything for. Just to hold her. To be near her. To caress her hair. To breath her scent and taste her lips. But what he wanted was no longer of any importance. His decisions had lead him down a different path.

The news of Cersei's impending marriage had traveled fast to all corners of the Seven Kingdoms. A new king and his golden Lannister queen. He did not feel like celebrating. Robert Baratheon was not his king and the whore monger did not deserve a treasure such as Cersei... no one deserved her, not even he himself, Jaime noted bitterly.

No, even he was not worthy of having her. He had broken his vows by killing the king and though the only one who knew a shred of the truth was the Princess Elia, he felt the burden of this decision. He had remained loyal to the royal family after the Mad King's death. But the price he had paid for this... would he ever know it? All he knew, was that he had become his sister's enemy... he had betrayed her as well... Now she was nothing more than a fading dream for him and there was nothing he could do to change that, but to move on and try to live a different life, without her in it. But he had no idea if that was even possible for him.

It frustrated him. He swung the wooden sword again, using all the strength his protesting muscles could muster. But the sword never his the post, it was blocked by another training sword. A weapon in the hands of Ser Arthur Dayne. The famed knight looked ominously at Jaime.

"Have we insulted you, Ser Jaime?" Arthur asked darkly.

A humorless chuckle escaped Jaime, as he heard the man's question. It must have been quite the scandal, when he stood up and left the dinner wordlessly, after they had ever so kindly informed him of his impending marriage to Lady Ashara Dayne. But in this case he cared little about propriety.

"Forgive me for feeling angered that others make life changing decisions for me, Ser Arthur," Jaime snarled, before he attacked the man.

Unlike him, Ser Arthur was still at full strength and rested, but it did not matter to Jaime. He had always idolized this man. He had tried to be like him, to be like the legendary Sword of the Morning. This man had knighted him when he was merely a boy... far too soon. But Jaime had felt honored and aspired to follow Ser Arthur's example. Be an honorable knight, do your duty, be ever vigilant... he had tried to follow this code, but to no avail. Just look where it had gotten him. At least now he could unleash some of his pent up frustration on the man who was at least partially responsible for him becoming this.

Arthur blocked Jaime's strikes with trained ease, as he regarded the young knight with great concern. This was the man his sister was supposed to marry. Was he worthy of her or would he be her undoing? "You are not yourself, maybe you should rest now, Ser Jaime."

"Everyone just tells me what to do. Everyone treats me like a lowly servant. I AM A LION OF CASTERLY ROCK! I BOW TO NO ONE!" Jaime roared.

"Even House Lannister is oath bound to serve to royal family. All of us serve," Arthur replied calmly.

Jaime just snorted, "But that does not mean that I have to be a slave for my whole life. Will I never be free? First my father, then the Mad King... and now Prince Doran. I am not your puppet." He was never free. People say that Lannisters are so rich that they even shit gold, but those people never see the only gold that dictates their lives. The golden cage that comes with the Lannister name.

"So you are displeased by the prospect to marry my sister?"

"Lady Ashara is... truly beautiful," though not like Cersei. None compare to his Cersei, "but I resent that this decision has been made without consulting me first! By what right does the Prince of Dorne rule the Lion?"

"Would you rather leave and go back to your old life?"

"I..." Jaime hesitated. Would he take such a chance? To go back home and pretend that none of this had ever happened? To return to Casterly Rock, to become his father's minion once ore... to serve a king he would never be able to respect after all that had happened? To watch the whore monger shame Cersei, without be able to do anything about it?

"This is enough, Arthur. His quarrel is not with you. It is with me, obviously." Both men were surprised by the arrival of Lady Ashara. "You and I, Ser Jaime, we have to settle this. You believe that this arranged marriage is a slight against your Lannister' honor. But I feel equally insulted by the prospect of such a forced arrangement. This is our dispute."

"I do not hit women," Jaime replied darkly, as he took the time to study the woman.

She was truly beautiful, as if the maiden herself had come, clad in the flesh of a young lady of House Dayne. She was most likely one of the most beautiful women in Westeros, second only to Cersei... But where Cersei was the light, bright and golden, this woman was dark. An alluring darkness, that would have drawn him in, had his heart not already settled on his sister. But there was more to this woman, an unreadable sea of emotions, hidden in the depths of her violet colored eyes.

"How... reassuring. That already makes you a better man than the majority of the lords in Westeros. But this is not what was talking about." She walked closer to him, seemingly undaunted by his heated spar with her brother and the anger on his face. But the way her fingers kept on shaking, betrayed her true feelings. The movements were miniscule, but enough to show her true state of mind. He disturbed her, that much was obvious. "Neither of us has been given a choice in this. But unlike me, you still have a choice. You can turn you back on everything and leave with the next ship. To your home, to Essos. Wherever you wish to go. So don't you dare to tell me that you are trapped."

Jaime snorted, "I have no life away from here."

"Your old life is gone, but what keeps you from starting a new one. One more suited to your tastes," Ashara said. She had finally reached him and only stood less than half an arm's length away from him. This closeness was obviously uncomfortable for him.

"A new life... with you in it?" Jaime asked, a disapproving frown on his face.

"You misunderstood me. You are free, but I am not."

"I am not free. As soon as I leave Dorne and the protection the Martells provide, I am a dead man. The Usurper and his murdering friends want my death for saving the princess. As long as Rhaenys lives, they have not won."

"Ser Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard is dead. He died with his king, serving him until the end. Loyally, willingly," Jaime had to repress the snort. If only she knew the truth... but she was right, the Kingsguard was dead, he burned in the braziers of the throne room. "Now you can be everything you want. Ser Jaime Lannister of Dorne, the true Golden Lion of House Lannister, who reclaimed the honor his father has lost. Or maybe you would prefer a life in the east. Just Jaime, a mighty sellsword, free of the burdens of his past and his name." She placed her hands on his cheeks and tilted his head slightly downward, so he would have to look into her eyes. "You would be truly free."

"What would you have me do?" Jaime asked, almost amused by her actions. He was still wary of her motives, but he would play her game for a little while. It did help to calm his temper... and her hands felt pleasantly warm on his skin.

"If I had your options, I would leave for Essos. A life in freedom but possible poverty is far better than a life in a golden cage," Ashara answered him truthfully. Her eyes never left his as she spoke. It was a silent battle of wills they fought. Green against violet. But neither would flinch away.

"You wish to get rid of me, so you can be free as well," Jaime stated.

She laughed lightly, a light hearted sound, lacking all the mockery and malice he knew from Cersei's... "Can you really fault me for trying? I have no desire to marry you, a sentiment you share wholeheartedly."

"You know that I cannot shirk my duty. I have promised Prince Rhaegar to guard his family. Running is not an option for me."

Ashara smiled sardonically at him, her thumbs stroking over his cheeks, before she moved closer and have him a peck on the lips, "You foolish man. You proud and foolish man. You trap us both. Will you doom us both also?" She whispered, before she let go of his face and took a step back.

Jaime was too surprised at first to react to her advances, but by the time she had stepped back. It was a bold move on her part, that had thoroughly threw him off course. "I cannot take what I want. Neither can I give you what you want," He finally told her.

"I know," She whispered. Her parents had accepted this unexpected offer from Prince Doran. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. She had no more say in her own fate. "But I will not allow you to dominate my life."

"Neither will I allow mine to be dominated by others any more. I will choose this path because I want to do it." Jaime said, as he took a step back to increase the distance to the alluring woman. His actions obviously amused her, judging by the smirk on her lips. "But are you not weighed down by other... circumstances?"

Her smile waned and a coldness took hold of her eyes, "What about Allyria? I will not part with her. You may look down on her because she is a bastard, but we are in Dorne and we cherish our children, no matter the circumstances of their creation."

"So the rumors about Harrenhal were true... but who is the father, I wonder?"

"That is none of your business," she replied coldly. Her eyes searched for her brother, who was still standing next to them, albeit in a respectful distance. But his presence reassured her, "Do you have a problem with this?"

"Problem?" Jaime asked mockingly, "No. To my knowledge the girl you have come here with is your younger sister. Or are the rumors false?" Oh he had heard about the girl. Allyria. There had been rumors in certain circles, even in King's Landing. When the Lady Ashara suddenly left Princess Elia's service, many rumors spread. The most persistent rumor was that she had an affair with someone and that a child had been conceived. It was about the only rumor that turned out to be close to the truth. But the lesser servants in the keep believed that the father was a Targaryen and that Elia had banished her friend for this infidelity. Jaime doubted this, as neither Rhaegar nor Aerys had shown any interest in Ashara, despite her beauty.

The smirk returned to Ashara's face, as she realized what he was getting at. "You are right. Allyria is my sister. But is upon me to raise her properly. You will either accept her or our marriage will never be happy... or peaceful. My family means everything to me."

"Why should I oppose your sister? Keep her, raise her. See my approval as a sign of... cooperation. If we have to wed, we will have to cooperate eventually."

"Scheming, even when you talk about marriage... You will do well in Dorne." Ashara laughed lightly, as she shook her head in mock disbelief. "Very well. We shall cooperate, Jaime." Before he could react she had closed the distance between them once more and rewarded him with another quick kiss, a solemn promise of things to come in the future. Then she turned around and disappeared as swiftly as she had come. Jaime remained with Ser Arthur, both men silently contemplating the prior conversation and the meaning of the accordance that had been reached. But neither saw the Dornish princess watching them from the other side of the yard.

* * *

It was only a day after Jaime's talk with Ashara, when Sunspear was in uproar once more. Within a few short hours several ships had arrived in the harbor, all of them carrying men of import. Men who had come to determine the final fate of the ill begotten rebellion.

The first to arrive had been the Lord of the Reach, Mace Tyrell and his entourage of knights and ladies. But the lord's attempts at flaunting his power and influence were ill received in Dorne. Mace Tyrell had wasted time and a giant army to besiege Storm's End for months, feasting every day, when loyal men died for the royal family. And in the eye of a real fight the lord had surrendered without lifting a sword.

But his welcome was considerably warm, in comparison to the one the envoy of the rebels received. They no longer even considered themselves to be rebels, but came as the official negotiators of the new king, Robert Baratheon of House Baratheon of Storm's End. And the one to lead them was Lord Jon Arryn of the Vale, the newly appointed Hand of the King. Only necessity and propriety had ensured his survival, when he had left the ship.

Jaime had been present in the throne room during the arrival, standing a few steps to the left of Prince Doran's throne, together with Elia and Oberyn. He was unsure why Prince Doran had requested him to be present, though he could guess that it was to show him off to the rebel lord's, which also included Tywin Lannister now. Jaime wanted to refuse at first, a notion of rebelliousness against the man who now attempted to rule him. But in the end he knew better than to show such infantile behavior. And he knew that Princess Rhaenys would be save, even without him. Ser Arthur and more than a dozen guards would be enough to prevent anyone from getting into the nursery, where the girl was with her cousins.

Jaime was surprised to see his uncle Kevan amongst the envoy from King's Landing. It could only mean that his father wanted to send a message that could not delivered on paper alone. But what would that mean for him? Jaime was sure that he had interfered with a lot of his father's plans. Tywin Lannister has to be beyond furious with him.

It was in the late hours of the afternoon, when all of them, rebels and loyalists, came together and sat down a large table, to discuss the end of the hostilities. The whole situation was tense, as neither side was willing to abandon their pride and conceded anything. The rebels had won the war, but Dorne and the Reach had not yet been defeated. The Tyrell's armies had returned to their homes, after surrendering without a fight and Dorne, despite their losses at the Trident, was nigh on unconquerable for the rebels and their battle weary armies.

"The war is over. Even you will have to accept that there is no reason to continue this senseless bloodshed. Haven't we all suffered enough? Are you not tired of the conflict?" Jon Arryn spoke passionately, as he addressed Doran Martell and Mace Tyrell, the last remaining loyalist lords in Westeros. It was obvious that the man meant every word he said and most of the people in the audience actually agreed with him. The king was dead. As was his heir. The Targaryens had lost their throne, so there was little reason to continue fighting... except the attempted murder of Elia Martell and her daughter...

"Your war with the Mad King may be over, but your puppet king still poses a threat to my family. You want me to believe that we can live in peace? That all would be over, just because we say so. But you and I both know that your king will not have peace, as long as there are still any Targaryens left alive. As long as he threatens the life of my niece, there will be no end to this conflict." Doran announced imperiously.

All for Rhaenys. Jaime was astounded by this unquestionable loyalty towards their own family, that the Martells had shown so far. His own father would have acted similar, that much was assured, but he would have had other reasons. Tywin Lannister would not allow for his family to look weak and vulnerable. But the Martell's loyalty towards the Targaryen princess could possibly be the cause of more deaths... many men would die, because one small girl had survived. It was in moments like this, when Jaime realized what he had started, by saving the life of the child.

"My lords, surely we can come to an understanding here. No one wishes for this to continue. And no one wishes for the death of your niece. There is no reason for Rhaenys Targaryen to fear for her life," Ser Kevan replied, a worried frown on his face.

The man only tried to deescalate the situation, but sadly, the effect was quite contrary. Oberyn, incensed by the words of a Lannister, jumped up from his seat and pulled a dagger from his belt, which he rammed into the table. He used so much force, that the entire table trembled and several cups fell over, spilling the wine. The red liquid spread on the table, like blood on the battlefields of the war.

"You have some nerve to even come here, Lannister. You, whose brother has tried to murder my sister. Who has tried to murder my niece. And who has actually succeeded in murdering my nephew. If it wasn't for the propriety and the necessity of these talks, I would have gutted you the moment you left your ship. But rest assured, you Lannister's are not the only ones who pay their debts!" Oberyn hissed at Kevan, who watched all of this with a sad look.

Jaime caught his uncle's eyes after some moments and he actually felt bad for the hostility he had to endure. He knew that Ser Kevan was not a bad man and only served his brother and family loyally, no matter what the mighty Tywin Lannister decided to do.

"Oberyn, this enough. Keep your temper!" Doran admonished his brother firmly.

"The events towards the end of the rebellion had taken a rather unfortunate and unsavory turn that none of us have wanted. We fought to protect the Starks, when the Mad King murdered Lord Rickard and his son. We fought to end the tyranny of a madman. We fought to free Lady Lyanna, when we believed that she had been taken against her will. None of us wanted the death of the children and none of us do so now." Jon Arryn insisted.

"Pretty words from a petty liar," Oberyn muttered, but he stopped when he saw Doran's admonishing look.

"None of this has been planned by your... wards?" Doran asked, a dubious look on his face, "Then tell me, why your ward Robert Baratheon has stolen my niece's throne. Tell me why the rebels have tried to have the entire royal family slaughtered, including my sister and her children. Tell me why we have proof that your new king has already sent out order's to find assassins to murder my niece. Have you come here to lie to us, to deceive us, to buy the necessary time to prepare the assassination of Princess Rhaenys?"

Jon Arryn remained silent for some seemingly endless moments. The tensions only rose with every second the silence continued. "I have to admit, that King Robert has indeed ordered the death of the princess, but that order had been retracted almost immediately. It was a decision he had made in a moment of despair and hatred. He had just been informed of the death of his beloved Lady Lyanna and he had not reacted well to that... but after he had come to terms with it, he has seen reason. Princess Rhaenys will no longer have to fear anything, unless you insist on continuing this war. If that is the case we may just as well leave now and get back to our armies."

"We might just as well finish the fight here, Arryn!" Oberyn said, as he tried to jump up once more. But Jaime managed to pull him back down, which earned him an approving look from Prince Doran.

"I believe we all can agree that this war has to end. We should not focus on what has been done, but what must be done to end the hostilities." Jaime said, as he looked at the men around him.

Doran nodded, though his expression was as unreadable as ever. Oberyn looked as furious as before, barely managing to remain seated. Unlike his brother, he allowed his feelings to overwhelm him on occasions, something that Doran had called a fatal flaw on more than one occasion.

As Jaime look on, he saw Mace Tyrell, looking decidedly bored as it seemed. It was almost as if the outcome of these talks did not matter to him and deep down Jaime feared that this might just be the case. In the worst case the man could just decide that he was no longer obligated to serve the remaining Targaryens... it would be a devastating blow to the power of the last remaining loyalists.

Lord Jon Arryn, on the other hand, looked even older than he already was, his eyes weary, but still hopeful. Jaime could see that he was honest in his wish to end this war. He just wished there would have been a way for this man and Prince Rhaegar to talk, how much death and suffering could have been averted, had they fought with words and not swords, but it was too late. The good and the bad had died and those who remain have to try and survive in this new world they had created through their actions.

"The offer of King Robert is simple. This war will end immediately and without further reprimands, should the lords of Dorne and the Reach bend their knee and accept the new king as their liege lord."

"And my niece?"

Jon Arryn hesitated, before he replied firmly, "The royal princess has two options here. If she renounces her claim to the throne, no one would ever have any reason to wish her harm. She would be allowed to remain with her family in Dorne and live her life as she sees fit, as long as she poses no threat to the new royal family."

"And the other option," Doran asked calmly.

"If you would consent that the princess marries the firstborn son of King Robert, her well being would be guaranteed and she would become the queen of Westeros one day. It would be the most preferable outcome for everyone involved..."

"You must believe us to be quite daft and blind, to think that we would consent to send Rhaenys to her death like this. It would be just what you want, my niece alone and isolated in King's Landing, where she would suffer a tragic accident a few days after her arrival." Oberyn spat bitterly.

"As much as I resent my brother's choice of words, I have to agree with him," Doran replied, "King Robert's hatred of the Targaryen family is well known and Rhaenys would not survive for long in his presence. The marriage is out of the question."

"Then she will have to renounce her claims to the throne," Jon insisted.

This time it was Doran Martell, who fell silent for a long time. Jaime had quickly learned that the ruling prince of Dorne was a very cunning man, possibly on par with his father. Judging by the look on his face, the man was already planning countless ways to exploit the situation, whichever he would choose.

"Then for the sake of peace, Dorne will agree to your demands. I will accept Robert Baratheon as the new king and my niece will not press her claims. But know this, should your king betray us and try to harm the princess, not even all Seven Hells would offer him a place to hide from our wrath," Doran announced imperiously.

Oberyn looked positively murderous, but this time he remained seated, even without Jaime restraining him.

"And you, Lord Mace?"

"Under these circumstances, the Reach shall follow Dorne's example." Mace Tyrell drawled in a bored manner.

Jon Arryn looked relieved. These negotiation had gone better than he had expected. The fact that they had come to a conclusion this quickly, only showed how weary everyone was of this war. All of them wanted peace and now they would have it. But would it last? With the a raging king in King's Landing and the daughter of his mortal enemy in the south, growing up protected by those who will never show him the loyalty he wants...

"I thank you, for this decision. The realm has bled enough. Now we all can return to our homes, to rebuilt all that had been destroyed by this senseless war."

"If this is all, I believe that you should leave. The war may be over, but you are not welcome here, Lord Arryn," Doran commanded.

"In fact, there is one more thing I wish to say here," It was not Jon Arryn, but Ser Kevan who spoke. Jaime almost flinched, as he knew that this would be about him no doubt. Why else would his uncle be here. "I have come here for my nephew, who currently resides with you. He is here among us, Ser Jaime Lannister."

"And what do you wish to tell the honored guest of House Martell," Doran asked, putting emphasis on Jaime's standing in Sunspear. If the rebel lords were surprised by this, they did not show it.

"Jaime, know that your actions at the end of the war will not be held against you. With your sister's marriage to King Robert, you have been pardoned. You can return with me, to Casterly Rock, where you will take your place as your father's heir." Kevan looked almost pleadingly at Jaime, hoping that his nephew would agree. But Jaime hesitated.

To return home... he had not expected to be able to do this any time soon. He had expected to be stuck in Dorne, but apparently his father's influence was still as tremendous as it had been before the rebellion. And most likely there had been a lot of gold involved as well. He would be able to go home, to see Cersei... who was married now... His sister had married the Usurper. She would not be at Casterly Rock. But his father would be... Would his father's domineering presence be preferable over Prince Doran's? He would escape the marriage he had not wanted, but he knew that his father would also demand a marriage as soon as possible, to ensure the future of House Lannister... A golden cage or serving the Targaryen princess in Dorne...

"I... I am sorry, uncle, but after what my father has done, I don't feel ready to face him yet." Jaime replied solemnly. No matter what, he wouldn't see Cersei again. Their relationship would never be the same again, now that she was married to a king. She had always wished to be queen... she would forget him soon enough, so she did not matter for his decision. But Dorne offered him a chance his father would not give him, a chance to reclaim the honor he had lost when he had broken his vows and killed his king...

Kevan looked surprised and downright sad, but he nodded mutely. He had obviously hoped to return home with his nephew, but now he would only bring his brother yet another disappointment. The rest of the men in the room had different looks on their faces. Oberyn sported an almost predatory grin, making no attempt to hide the glee that his new friend had chosen to stay in Dorne and not with his family.

Doran's expression was more calculating, yet it was obvious that he was also pleased.

Jon Arryn, though, looked worried by this turn of events. To hear that the heir of the Westerlands, the richest and one of the most powerful of the Seven Kingdoms, would rather choose to stay with Targaryen loyalists than his family, must have been quite a shock.

But Jaime could not stand to see his uncle's sad face again, so he rose from his seat and quickly left the room. He knew it was improper, but he really needed some time alone now. He had just made a decision that could possibly be the most important in his entire life. He had chosen his path, but he wasn't sure whether it was the right one or not.

But as he walked through a seemingly empty hallway of the Tower of the Sun, a child approached him. A young boy, with a scared look on his face. The boy did not say anything, but he presented Jaime with a small scroll, sealed with a crest that Jaime did not recognize. He took it, but before he could ask the boy where this had come from, the child was gone.

Puzzled, Jaime could only read the scroll and find out whatever the writer wanted from him.

_My honored friend,_

_I congratulate you on your success to safe and protect the little dragon, which will without a doubt have a great influence on the future of the Seven Kingdoms. Seeing that we both have succeeded with our tasks, give__s__ me hope that an even greater tragedy can yet be averted. But be advised to remain silent for now. So far your discretion on this matter has been very much appreciated and I humbly request that this won't change in the future. __Surprise is our greatest weapon, never forget. I will keep you appraised of anything I consider noteworthy._

_Be ever vigilant..._

it was not signed... Jaime read the message twice more, still confused by it. Only belatedly he realized who must have sent this. Apparently the Martells have greatly underestimated the reach of the royal spies. Lord Varys was truly resourceful, to have a message delivered inside of the heart of Dorne, without anyone noticing it. It worried Jaime, because this meant that the man could possibly do much worse with his spies. The fact that the bald eunuch considered him an ally at the moment did little to reassure him. But if the message was true, he could at least rest assured that Rhaenys' brother had survived as well, where ever Lord Varys has brought him... But the secret would still weigh him down, now more than ever...

He took a deep breath, before he continued walking. Out of what remained of his old life and into his new one. A life in Dorne, serving the last known Targaryen in Westeros. A life without his father, without his sister. He should feel sad about it, but all he truly felt elated... for first time in many years it felt as if he had a semblance of control over his own life.

* * *

**A/N: So, this chapter concludes the events of the prolog. All the events that I wanted to mention at the end of 283 AL and in early 284 AL have been told and the rest does not need to be told. I believe that all of you can imagine them the way you want them to be.**

**I know that many of you already felt offended by my decision to replace Allyria, maybe it is even worse now, that you know that I have exchanged her with Ashara. It was not an easy decision, believe me. I have spent much time discussing this matter with a bunch of insanely obsessed book lovers, who can literally quote almost every sentence of the books. It is not as widely known, but they follow the theory that Allyria is not Ashara's sister, but her daughter. You might ask yourselves why, I did so as well. The greatest problem with her is her unknown age. We know not how old she really is. But we do know that she is betrothed to Beric Dondarrion. We do know his age. We also know that all of Allyria's siblings were at least adolescents, if not adults during the rebellion. So we either have Allyria being born much later than her siblings or Beric marries a woman who is much older than him. Both are dubious. But we know from Ser Barristan that Ashara had supposedly been dishonored at Harrenhal, in 281 and given birth to a daughter. He believed that the child was stilborn, but had she lived, the girl would have been at least twelve by the time of the betrothal of Allyria and Beric. 12 is young, but not an unusual age for a betrothal. So the question I had asked myself was simple, what do I believe? A far too old woman for Beric, a much younger sister for Ashara or a bastard daughter, hidden as a sister. In my earlier story I had followed the first, but for this story I will follow the last suggestion. Allyria Dayne is the bastard daughter of Ashara Dayne... and possibly one of the Stark brothers. Ah and don't forget, we know nothing about Allyria and her haircolor was a choice I have made. She does not have to be blonde, she could just as well be dark haired like Ashara.**

**Now you may ask why I chose Ashara this time. I have already explained why I did not consider Elia, but Ashara is a very intriguing character. We like to consider her femme fatale. But we know only little about her. From what we know we can assume that she has learned much about court intrigue as Elia Martell's lady-in-waiting and that she may be a rather lustful woman. Ser Barristand, Ned and Brandon wanted her and one of the Stark brothers has most likely shared her bed at Harrenhal. And she is considered a very beautiful woman, far superior to Elia and most others at court. So why not give Jaime a wive that is both as beautiful as Cersei and shows cunning at the same time? But why would Doran choose her to marry Jaime? It is simple. He needs Lannister children, heirs to the Westerlands, born and raised in Dorne, under his watchful eyes. The wife only needs to be Dornish. But when you try to lure a man, why not use the prettiest lure you have at your disposal? And I believe that it would have been a hilarious pairing.**

**Oh and since I have already infuriated so many of you with the changes in regards to Jaime's wife, I may just as well anounce now that there will be changes for the oldest children as well. Arthur will have a different name, mostly because now that Ser Arthur lives, there is no reason to honor his memory by naming a firstborn son after him. Arthur will get a traditional Lannister name, likely one of the old Lannister kings. Joanna will remain as she is, but this time around she and Arthur will be twins, not their younger siblings. Believe me, having twins repeatedly in a family is not as uncommon as you might believe. My family had 4 pairs of twins in 3 generations. The changes for the oldest Lannister children are necessary to set up the mood for the future story. And no, they will not follow Jaime and Cersei's example... **

**Oh well. So Jaime has decided to stay in Dorne and everything will run its course. This is just the beginning, so stay tuned, there is much to come...**


	5. Preparations

**It has been a rather good week and I can present you the next chapter much quicker than I had originaly planned. It is not as long the last chapter, but from experience with my stories I can say that the length of the chapter obviously does not matter to most of you. In fact the longer chapters were always those with lowest number of views and reviews. So the number of words each chapter will vary, depending on the scenes in the chapters.**

**Some were surprised that I had Mace Tyrell attend the peace talks in Sunspear. I really don't want to explain my reasons for that in far more words than necessary, so I will just say this: Mace Tyrell is the sort of man who really likes Mace Tyrell. And Mace Tyrell being Mace Tyrell, wants to be remembered as the great man that is Mace Tyrell. The rebellion would be rememberd for a very long time and by attending the peace talks that would end the war, his name would be remembered as well. Not to mention that his mother would have sent him there, to see if there are any possibilities to gain something out of their continued loyalty to the Targaryens. The Reach was possibly one of most powerful kingdoms at the end of the rebellion. Their lands had not ravaged and their army was undefeated and well rested after besieging Storm's End for most of the war. All other kingdoms had suffered losses and the rebel armies were tired. A good situation to try and make the best out of a lost war. **

**Oh well, on with the next chapter...**

* * *

"Too slow! Again," she took her spear and twirled it once, before she lunged forward. But her weapon missed its target once again. "No, no. Your grip on the shaft is still too loose."

"I try, Obara. I really try, but your spear is too long for me. I'm not as tall as you," Rhaenys whined, as she looked at her cousin. Much to her chagrin the woman still was more than a head taller than her and by now the princess had given up hope that she would ever catch up to her.

"Excuses. My father and I have taught you better than that," Obara replied heatedly, "Now then, if the little princess is too small to fight with a spear, maybe you can complete this task with a sword," She looked around, until her eyes fell on a young boy at the side of the field, who had the misfortune to be present at that very moment. "Snow, come here and bring a second training sword with you." Obara barked across the yard.

Rhaenys watched curiously, as Jon hurried over to them. For some reason Obara had made it her favorite pastime to drill him relentlessly, often beating him in spars until he was all black and blue and bloody. The oldest of the Sand Snakes would never reveal her reasons for this, but as the years went on, the young princess started to feel bad for the boy. He was a bastard, just like Obara, but unlike her he was a Snow, not a Sand. His father had been some northern courtier, who had made a quick escape once he heard about the consequences of his fun with some serving girl in the Old Palace. Or so they had told Rhaenys. To her Jon Snow had been just another boy, a servant in the castle, who had the misfortune of ending up on the receiving end of Obara's mood swings, but after Obara's unexplained cruelty, Rhaenys had considered taking him on her personal servant, to shield him from her cousin's anger.

"Good, now give one of the swords to Rhaenys," Obara ordered Jon. "Now you will fight. Do not hold back or else you will spar with me next."

Rhaenys barely had the time to grab her sword correctly, before Jon lunged at her. She knew that he was not particularly enthusiastic to fight her, but compared to the consequences of fighting against an angry Obara, the repercussions of possibly hurting a princess seemed far less severe. And he turned out to be a very challenging opponent. Countless sessions with the oldest Sand Snake had earned him more than cuts and bruises.

They traded blows, both trying to overpower the other as quickly as possible. But Obara was obviously displeased with their display, so she started yelling commands at them. She expected these commands to be followed, without question, without hesitation. Both Rhaenys and Jon knew that she was willing to punish them for misconduct and as Rhaenys' personal trainer, Obara was given much more leeway than the princess liked.

It was in a moment of inattention, when Rhaenys took a step back and tripped over the spear, which she had discarded so carelessly before. Jon was obviously just as surprised as she was. First he looked at her with wide eyes, before he tried to grab her arm to keep her from falling. But it only ended with him falling onto her, as she pulled him down.

"I... I am sorry, princess..." Jon said, quite embarrassed. However, Rhaenys could not answer, as Jon was immediately hauled off her.

"Don't you just lie on the princess, you dog. Get up," Obara yelled, as she pulled him away, not that he would have offered any resistance. "And you, when will you learn to keep an eye on your surroundings? In a real fight you would be dead now. Gone forever. Is that what you want?"

"No," Rhaenys replied weakly, mollified by her angry cousin.

"Then pay attention," Obara snapped. "We are done for today. Go get yourself cleaned up." Rhaenys stood up as fast as she could, before she grabbed her spear and the sword and walked away. "Not you, Snow. We are not done yet." Obara growled, as Jon walked away as well. But the boy did not complain. He knew that it would be pointless.

On her way out of the training yard, Rhaenys walked past the small group of gathered men and women, who had watched her training. Her mother was among them, looking proudly at her, despite Rhaenys rather poor performance. The princess could only offer a strained smile, before she vanished in the direction of her rooms, a gaggle of guards and young ladies following her immediately.

"She tries so hard, yet she does not improve. It frustrates her," Elia said with a wary sigh. She wasn't all that happy when Rhaenys decided to follow her cousins' example and learn the fine art of swordsmanship, among other things. She would have rather seen her follow more feminine pursuits, but a girl of her heritage and with such a family, could hardly keep her hands off weapons for long.

She does have great ancestors she wishes to live up to. Nymeria, the great queen of the Rhoynar, who had lead her people to Dorne, the land she conquered together with her husband, Mors Martell. And the sisters of Aegon the Conqueror, Rhaenys and Visenya, who rode their dragons in battle and carved a path of fire through the lines of their enemies. The young princess wanted to live up to their greatness, even more, now that it was her own father who had lost everything her ancestors had gained.

"She is good, but she was never meant to be a warrior. It is not the path she should follow, but the one she has to follow, given her situation," Ser Jaime replied stoically, as he watched his princess leave.

"But she is mediocre at best, she would never survive a fight against men of your skill, Jaime," Elia replied worriedly.

"Then we should count ourselves lucky that there a no men like me out there, there is just me. Most men, lords, knights and peasants, are rather poor fighters, so she will have a good chance to defend herself against them. As for the rest... well Arthur, Oberyn and I need some entertainment as well." he chuckled, though he knew of the gravity of his words. There are still great warriors out there, waiting for a fight. And not all of them were among her guards and family.

"Aren't we full of ourselves, husband?" Ashara asked him, as she regarded him with a critical look.

"Those who can back up their claims are not boasting, they are merely warning the foolish," Jaime replied haughtily.

Ashara laughed with him for some moments, before she stopped suddenly and regarded him with a cold look, "Arrogance is unbecoming, even of a Lannister. Our son is already suffering under Oberyn's hubris, no need to add your own."

Oh Jaime knew how much she disliked the fact that Oberyn had left with their son without as much as a word to her. He had taken Jason with him to Essos, to teach him the finer points of life as a warrior. That was over a year ago now and Ashara grew angrier with Oberyn with every day that passed without as much as a letter from the boy. Jaime was more at ease, though he was worried as well. But he trusted Oberyn with his own life, so he begrudgingly trusted the man also with the life of his eldest son and heir. It was why he had asked Oberyn to take Jason as his squire, once the boy was old enough.

"But of course, my dear. But Jason is old enough to make his own decisions and live with the mistakes if necessary. Whatever he sets his mind to, I am sure that he will succeed. He is a Lannister after all."

"He is a Dornish Lannister, not one of your feeble minded cousins from the Westerlands. He should be here, showing Westeros the strength and cunning of our family, running rampant in the Free Cities does not help his reputation here, if he truly wishes to rule Casterly Rock one day." Ashara said, still looking displeased.

Jaime smiled at his wife. He could see the ambitious glint in her eyes. When she was like this he couldn't help himself but kiss her. And he did. "The day will come when our children will take what is theirs by right. All in the right time. We will fight for it and we will win. For the sake of our children and for Rhaenys' sake."

"What you and my brothers plan is far more risk than and would ever wish to put my daughter into. It is a dangerous gamble and unlike you I don't like the odds in this." Elia muttered.

"Your daughter is far stronger than you might believe. She knows her place in this world and she will fight for it. She has Dorne at her disposal and as soon as the Tyrells cave in, she will have the Reach as well. The Usurper's rule will not last forever." Jaime said. He sighed, when he remembered something he had almost forgotten, "But you must excuse me for now, I believe I am needed elsewhere."

The group watched the knight depart in silence. Only when he was out of earshot the chatter started again. But Elia and Ashara paid only miniscule attention to the other women around them, as their eyes still lingered on the door where Jaime had disappeared.

"He is rather determined these days. As if he knows something that we are not yet privy to," Elia said.

Ashara laughed lightly, as she shook her head, "He likes to believe that he is so very good at hiding things from me, but he is not as adapt as he wants to be. His brother has just returned from the North and apparently something rather big is about to happen. Prince Doran has schemes that go much further than we would have ever expected."

"And how do you know that?"

"My darling husband sometimes mutters things in his sleep, after I have tired him out enough." Ashara replied with a laugh.

Elia joined in, clearly amused by the idea, "You have grown rather fond of his company. Fourteen years now and not even once have either of you sought the pleasure of another partner."

"Why? Are you jealous, Elia?" Ashara tried to sound scandalized, but failed when she couldn't keep her laughter in, "I am sure that we could arrange something to your liking, it is not like I would mind to share, as long as it is only you."

"You have grown attached to him, have you not?" Elia continued asking, ignoring her friends offer.

"You can't be together for so long and bring four children into a marriage without a certain fondness for each other. He may have turned out a bit too arrogant once he had gotten used to Dorne and our customs, but it is nothing I am not used to deal with. And he is a surprisingly good parent. Rather unexpected, considering the monster he calls a father." Ashara said, sporting a thoughtful look. "But enough of this, we should go and see what our daughters are up to. I fear Joanna may be a rather bad influence for Rhaenys."

"Or the other way round. I fear Allyria is hard pressed keeping up with their little games," Elia sighed.

* * *

In a different part of the old palace, Jaime had finally reached the meeting room, where he was supposed to meet Prince Doran. He knew he was already late for the meeting, but by now he had come to know the Dornish prince quite well. Though Doran Martell would be quite displeased by his lateness, he knew that the man would not waste time and breath to scold a grown man, not when they had much more pressing matters to discuss.

As he entered Prince Doran's solar, he was greeted by a familiar voice, albeit one he had not heard in quite some time. And as he looked around, he quickly found the owner, a half-grown man with hair just as golden as his own. His brother, the only other Lannister not born in Dorne, who was still welcomed in the southern kingdom. Well after a lot of convincing done on Jaime's part, when Tyrion suddenly showed up at his doorstep, as a boy of no more than twelve.

"Ah, brother, still as punctual as ever. Father would be so proud," Tyrion jested, before he grinned wildly.

Jaime shrugged, as he quickly took a seat next to his brother. "You know that I always strife to do my best. Not for his sake, though."

"The poor, poor man. How unfortunate for him to have sons like us," Tyrion replied.

"Now that the two of you have exchanged your usual pointless banter, we should get down to business. I have not called you here for squabbling." Prince Doran drawled in a bored manner.

"But of course." Jaime said, "So what was so important that we had to postpone our plans for the move against the Stormlands?"

"The troublesome prince in Pentos."

Jaime sighed, as he heard this. Viserys Targaryen, only remaining son of King Aerys and by the royal laws of the Seven Kingdoms, the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Long had they hoped that under the guidance of Ser Gerold the boy would turn out to be better than his father. They had dared to hope that he might be more like Rhaegar, who had been, despite his faults, still a greater man than many of his old family. But all for naught. When the remaining knights of the Kingsguard found him, he was already dead set on a path towards self-destruction. He and his sister, Daenerys, had suffered much in their short time in the Free Cities. But they needed him, as sane as possible or at least pliable enough to distract him from making any crucial mistakes. If they ever managed to depose the Usurper, it would be Viserys who would be king and they tried their best to prepare him for this... emphasis on tried.

"So what has Prince Viserys done this time?" Jaime asked, already dreading the answer.

"After Ser Gerold's passing some months ago, the boy has become progressively more difficult to control. He has started making decisions on his own. Dangerous decisions, some that could possibly cost us dearly."

Jaime was still sad about the death of his former lord commander. He had respected the man for his long years of service for the royal family and though he had been banished from Dorne, Jaime had not dared judging him badly for his decision to follow Prince Rhaegar's orders. But the man had already been old when the rebellion had started and it was an even greater surprise, that he had managed to live this long.

"Now the foolish boy has become rather impatient. With every passing day he gets more out of control and we need to reign him in, before he gets himself killed by his own stupidity. Unfortunately for us, he has already made one decision that we would have rather avoided. He has sold his sister, to gain himself an army of unwashed savages." Doran said, displeasure evident in his voice.

"Can you imagine it, a royal princess, married to a wild Dothraki. Her ancestors are turning in their graves for sure." Tyrion added.

"Wait, so I get this right. Prince Viserys has given his sister to a Dothraki horse lord, to get himself an army?" Jaime looked incredulous, barely believing this.

"Yes. A whole khalasar. Thousands of the most blood thirsty savages known to mankind. And he intends to bring them here, to let them fight his war." Tyrion continued, "If that happens, the realm will not just bleed, it will also burn to the ground. Gods help us all."

"So what are we going to do about it?" Jaime asked, once he had overcome the initial surprise.

"Nothing." Tyrion said, before he allowed himself a laugh bar of any humor.

"Are you serious? This is no laughing matter, Tyrion. We are speaking about a royal princess. We would loose every bit of credibility, should we allow one princess to be handed over to those savages, while guarding the other as if she is the greatest treasure in the world. We wouldn't be any better than the Usurper otherwise." Jaime muttered.

"Unfortunately, the deal has been made and the Dothraki are not known to appreciate broken promises. Either Daenerys marries this Khal Drogo or the Dothraki will ravage the coasts of Essos. It would take months before the Free Cities could field an army strong enough to counter them and by then, most of our own power in the east would be gone. We cannot risk that. We need the support of the Free Cities, should we ever hope to stand a chance against at least four of the Seven Kingdoms." Doran explained calmly. "No, the princess is lost to us."

"We can't just give up like this." Jaime sounded outraged, "What good can come of this?"

"The Dothraki may be simple minded savages, but they do have a reputation for bringing down kingdoms. Control is the issue here, but should the prince's plan succeed, they would at least crush a huge number of our enemies." Doran muttered thoughtfully. "However, before we can even think about ways to control them, we have to reeducate the foolish prince, to make sure that he won't jeopardize our plans again."

"Are we not paying that fat man in Pentos enough to keep an eye on the prince? I would have expected a Magister to be able to reign in a young man, who has no power in his land." Jaime asked. He really did not like the Magister. Illyrio Mopatis was as unreadable as he was greedy and Jaime was certain that the man had plans of his own. Especially since the spider in King's Landing had brought up the name in more than one of the regular missives he had sent through his spies.

"Illyrio only serves Illyrio. We can only assume that he has gained something out of allowing Prince Viserys to sell his sister to the Dothraki. We cannot trust him to serve our interests. He has to be replaced... as soon as possible." Doran replied, his face marred by a dark frown. "We have come too far to allow any mistakes. We will have our revenge for Aegon and we will return all to my niece's family, that has been stolen from them."

"And this is where I am concerned. I will head east and join the Prince of Fools, to teach him what he needs to know. Patience and cunning." Tyrion added with a laugh. "It was about time for me to stop pretending that I am merely a disowned traveler in Westeros. Serving the dragons, now that will certainly be a great adventure."

"Father will be shocked. Loosing not one, but two sons to the other side of our little political battle. You will be the death of him," Jaime said, quite amused by this.

"Nothing would give me more joy than to be the death of him. He stopped pretending that I am his son the day he heard about the birth of the twins. The day he disowned me, since I was no longer a necessity to the Lannister name," Tyrion added rather bitterly. His relationship to the mighty Tywin Lannister had never been good, but it was quite a shock, that the man had decided to get rid of him, the moment he had enough other heirs for his legacy.

"Don't worry, once Casterly Rock is mine, everyone will know that you are a true Lannister. The truest and loyalest brother I could have asked for," Jaime assured him. His little brother's ordeal had only brought the brothers closer together, certainly not what Tywin Lannister had wanted... or Cersei. She, too, hated her dwarf brother, much to Jaime's displeasure.

"As much as this display of brotherly affection is touching, I must ask you to take this elsewhere. Tyrion will leave for Pentos with the first tide in the morning. And you, Ser Jaime, still have preparations to make for your journey to Highgarden."

"Good luck there, brother. The Lady Olenna is a shrewd woman, who knows schemes that none of us would ever think of. Best keep your lovey wife away from her, lest Ashara learns some tricks you might regret later," Tyrion jested lightly.

Jaime laughed, as he did not believe that the old woman could be as bad as his brother claimed. He had met her, too, though only once and rather briefly. Everyone knew that Mace Tyrell had the title, but it was his mother who had the true power in the Reach. She was the woman they had to take care of, if they wished for their plans to succeed. But Tyrion's words left the impression that this woman was Tywin Lannister with teats, a thoroughly repulsive idea.

"This old woman must not become a hindrance for our plans, Ser Jaime. Do what you can to convince her that Rhaenys is the best woman for her oldest grandson. I want them to believe that they are the ones who gain everything by marrying their heir to our princess."

"And if the old shrew resists?" Tyrion asked, a dubious look on his face.

"Then Nymeria and Tyene know what to do." Doran replied coldly.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation abruptly. However, before Prince Doran could react, the door was opened from the outside and two people entered.

"Oberyn, you know better than to just barge in here, when I am working." Doran reprimanded his brother.

"Well hello to you as well brother. I am happy to be back, thank you," Oberyn replied sarcastically. Then he strutted into the room in his usual, self confidant manner.

But Jaime ignored the Martell brothers, as he had only eyes for Oberyn's companion. His son had returned. After over a year, Jason was back and despite his wife's worries, the boy was still whole and healthy. The young Lannister smiled, as he saw his father and swiftly approached Jaime.

"Father, I am happy to see you. I had hoped to meet you first..." He trailed off, a rueful look on his face.

"Yes, you should be glad that you found me first. Your mother is still angry with you, for leaving without as much as a word. All of us had been worried, Jason." Jaime tried to be stern with his son, but if he had learned one thing in the last decade, then it was, that he could not be cross with his children for long. Ashara had no such quarrels, whenever they misbehaved.

Jason and Joanna were both strong minded and free spirits. Their spirit was a reason for pride, at least Jaime saw it that way. But he knew all too well that his own father would have crushed this kind of personality, to form the children, so they would become what he saw as ideal Lannisters. Jaime knew this from firsthand experience, his father had tried the same with him and Cersei, after their mother had died.

"Young Jason was with me, what worries could you have had?" Oberyn chuckled, as he saw the uncomfortable look on his squire's face. "And Jason did very well, you should be proud of him. I took him with me as a boy, but I bring him back to you as a man."

"Father, there is something that I have to tell you, that I have to show you." Jason said slowly, before he held up the long, wrapped up package in his hand.

Jaime was surprised, as he had been so focused on his son, that he had not even seen the package in Jason's hands. But as he took it from his son's hands, he was surprised by the size and weight of it. It was obviously a weapon, a sword, but it was lighter than he had expected. He unwrapped it carefully. His breath hitched and his eyes widened, when he finally saw it, as it lay on the table before him. A massive broadsword, adorned with gold and rubies on the hilt and the scabbard. Intricate patterns of lions could be seen, amidst all, the roaring lion that had adorned the crest of House Lannister since the time of the first kings.

"Where did you get this sword, Jason? I have not seen such supreme craftsmanship in a long time."

"Of course you have seen nothing like this before, my friend. That is because your son has managed to do what so many of your family have failed to do. What you see before you is the legendary sword of House Lannister, the sword Brightroar, taken from the cold grave of the foolish king Tommen, who had lost it and his life on the outskirts of ancient Valyria." Oberyn told them haughtily.

Jaime was at loss for words. Was this really Brightroar? Could it really be? He couldn't be sure, all texts about it and all the old paintings with the sword on it were hidden safely at Casterly Rock. He had only seen glimpses of them, mostly because he had always considered the stories to be nothing more tales. His uncle Gerion had believed in those tales and disappeared years ago, as he had left to search for the sword.

"To tell the truth, it was not me who has found the sword, it was Ser Gerion Lannister. He merely gave it to me, so I could give it to you, father."

"Uncle Gerion is alive?"

Jason lowered his face in sadness, as he shook his head. "No. He was betrayed by his men and wounded as he retrieved the sword. By the time I had met him, he was barely able to walk. His wounds had festered and he had been too weak to return to any settlement where they could have helped him. I think he was in delirium, because he called me Jaime the entire time. He must have believed that I am you..."

"Well there is certainly some resemblance," Oberyn added.

"Maybe. But he wanted you to have the sword. He said that you should wield it and that Lord Tywin must never get his hands on the weapon. The true heir of the Rock must have the weapon."

Jaime sighed sadly, as he heard this. Gerion Lannister had always been his favorite uncle. His passing was a great loss. He had also been one of the few who had treated Tyrion like a true member of the family. Jaime could see that Gerion's death was just as tragic for his brother, as it was for him. But to hear that Uncle Gerion's last wish was to help him, by giving him the sword, even though it was Tywin Lannister's greatest wish to regain the lost weapon of their family.

"This weapon will serve you well," Doran said, a glint of cunning visible in his eyes, "The ancestral sword of House Lannister, it will strengthen the claim to your father's lordship."

Jaime took the sword and pulled the weapon out of its scabbard. The blade shone in the light, freshly polished as it seemed. He could see his reflection, green eyes staring back at him. He made his decision quickly.

"Jason, come here." Jaime said. His son complied, albeit hesitantly. "When you look at the weapon, what do you see?"

The boy was obviously confused, as he looked towards Oberyn for guidance. But the prince was just as confused and merely shrugged. "It is... I see a sword. A weapon, to defend our home and family..."

Jaime chuckled, as did Tyrion, who had obviously understood what his brother was getting at. "Then take the sword and do that. Protect your family. Protect your home. And protect your princess."

"But... your uncle wanted you to have it..."

"And I want you to have it. You are my son and heir. You will rule the Westerlands and Casterly Rock. It is time that you realize what this means. So take this sword and wield it with pride. You are a Lannister and you will show everyone what a true Lannister is like. And I am too old and too used to fighting with a one-handed sword, to learn fighting with a broadsword. Go to your uncle and ask him for guidance. Learn to swing Brightroar like he does with Dawn."

"But..."

"Take the sword and go. Don't keep your mother waiting, I am sure she already knows that you are back. We will talk later." The boy couldn't protest further, as his father ushered him out of the solar.

"Giving the sword to the boy might be a mistake. He is young, untried and foolish. The weapon should rest in the hands of a man who knows how to use it properly," Doran protested, a displeased frown marring his face.

"Yet he meant every word he had said," Tyrion countered.

"Yes. Thanks to our father, House Lannister has lost all honor. Even their own allies are weary of him. His ruthless pursuit of power will be the downfall of our family. Jason is the first of a new generation, born outside of Tywin Lannister's corrupting influence. He can achieve all that I never could. I am just as corrupt as my father," Jaime said bitterly. He knew that he was supposed to rule the West one day, but he had long since realized that he was not what House Lannister needed. They needed a fresh start and Jason was just that. He would be the true golden lion that his family needs.

* * *

**A/N: Okay people, seriously don't go on a hateful rampage after this chapter. I have spent a good deal of time thinking about how I should add Jon Snow to this story, especially after I had him grow up as a servant in Sunspear in the prolog. Everything here has its reasons, even Obara's shitty treatment of your favorite bastard. At least you now know that he can fight and why he will follow Rhaenys around.**

**I had already mentioned that I would change the name of Jaime's son. With Arthur Dayne surviving the rebellion, there was little reason for Jaime to name his son Arthur to honor the knight. So I searched for a different name. At first I wanted to use the name of one of the old Lannister kings. I liked the name Loreon. The first known king of the Westerlands had that name. As did the first Lannister king who organized and won a Tournament. But sadly the other three kings who shared this name were all... less desireable people. In the end I chose the name Jason, for several reasons. Though the Lannisters who shared this name were all less known, it is still a name of some importance for Jaime. Jason Lannister was the father of Joanna Lannister, which means he was Jaime's grandfather and Tywin's uncle. Unlike his brother Tytos, Jason was a capable warrior and lead the troops of House Lannister in the war against the last Blackfyre, where he sadly perished. But still, Jason Lannister was a man worth honoring, so the name seemed fitting for a son.**

**Oh well. Next chapter we will see the other side of the fence. The whole next chapter will be dedicated to the Starks and Baratheons. Some of you complained that the orginal story was too one-sided, so I will strife to show all sides equally, with all their strengths and flaws.**


	6. Disregard

"This city stinks," young Arya muttered, as they passed the gates of the capital. She had been so excited to see King's Landing, her time away from Winterfell and the North. But the city was obviously not what she had expected from the exuberant tales she had been told by her Septa and her mother. She had even convinced her brother to allow her to ride with him on his horse, so she could see the city. Robb had been against it at first, but eventually he caved in and did as she had asked, only to stop her from pestering him any further.

"The city certainly has its... charms..." Robb replied. He, too, was not at all impressed by the city. But he had other reasons as well. His father had told him about his experiences with King's Landing and Robb couldn't shake the feeling that this city was not the best place for a Stark to be.

"But the city is bustling with life. Compared to Winterfell this city is the center of civilization, how can anyone not love my family's city?" Joffrey asked haughtily. He rode next to Robb, high on top of the black stallion his father had sent him for his last nameday.

"You have not been here for five years, how can you be sure that it is still the city you remember, Joffrey?" Robb asked critically.

"Because it is King's Landing and the capital has always been the greatest city in the realm," Joffrey replied, looking at Robb, daring him to contradict him.

"Doesn't change the fact that it reeks," Arya muttered, despite the dark look the prince sent her. Not that he defiance was anything new to either of them, she had always been rather adamant in her refusal to show the heir of King Robert the respect the boy demanded.

"We have nearly reached the Red Keep, then you can finally see the king." Robb told his youngest sister, "Did you not want to see the great King Robert, the man who has conquered the Iron Throne?"

All of them had grown up with the stories of the rebellion. The stories of their father and his best friend, Robert Baratheon, as they fought for justice and to end the tyranny of the Mad King. Though their father had often stated that he was no hero, that there had been no heroes in that war, his children still liked to think of him as the heroic defender of their home and family.

"There, my father is already waiting for us," Joffrey stated happily. He spurred his horse on and was soon ahead of the group, much to the bemusement of his companions.

"That is the king?" Arya asked, not masking the disbelief in her voice at all. "He is so... fat..."

"The life of a king does not agree with everyone, as it seems. He was the greatest of warriors once, but those times are long gone as it seems," Robb muttered. He was bewildered as well. This Robert Baratheon was not what he had expected. It wasn't the great warrior with the strength of a bear and the speed of a stag... this king was... no longer a warrior, that was for sure.

Robert Baratheon, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, was by no means a weak man, but there was seemingly nothing left of the man Ned Stark had told his children about. Gone was the tall and muscled man, replaced by an overweight man, who looked more jolly than threatening. Yet Robb reminded himself that the man was a king, a king who had gained the crown in a bloody war. And no matter what he might think about the man's exterior, respect had to be paid. Something that he immediately reminded his little sister of.

Joffrey had reached the steps to the Red Keep, where his father was waiting with half of his court, closely followed by Ned Stark and Robb. After five long years in the North, the boy was eager to see and talk to his father again. To show the king that his heir had matured and become a man. But as he jumped off his horse, he noticed that his father's attention was not on him, but on the northern lord, who was only a few steps behind him at that moment. But despite that, he approached the man.

"Father, I have returned. Five years have gone since you had sent me away, but now..." Joffrey stopped mid sentence, when his father walked towards him. It was a surprise, albeit a welcome one. But his father had not come to welcome him. Just like in the past, there was none of the closeness he had seen with the Starks. His father merely stopped for a moment and placed a meaty hand on his son's shoulder, muttering a frosty 'Welcome back, son' before he continued walking towards Ned Stark.

The Lord of Winterfell smiled, as Robert came and engulfed him in a bear hug, like used to in the past, "Dammit, Ned, too many years. Too many damn years since we have last seen each other. Where the hell have you been?" Robert asked with a mock grumpy voice. His grin betrayed the attempt to look serious.

"Guarding the North for you, your grace. And of course, teaching your son and heir to the best of my abilities." Ned replied, with a gesture towards Joffrey, who watched them with a rather grim expression. It was obvious to everyone in attendance, that the prince felt slighted by his father's blatant disregard.

"Come, come. We have much to talk about. Much has happened and will happen soon." Robert said, before he ushered Ned towards the keep. He paid little attention to anyone else, but all who knew the king, had expected this meeting to happen this way.

Soon the two men had disappeared inside the Red Keep, followed by the many courtiers, who followed the king on every step. Only few remained, among them Lord Arryn, the Hand of the King, who approached Joffrey and Robb.

"Don't take it too hard, Joffrey, maybe he just did not want others to think that he spoils his son and heir or something like that. From all I have heard the Southerners are all about pretense." Robb tried to cheer the prince up, but with little visible success.

"He is right, my prince," Jon Arryn said, as he reached the two. "Your father was looking forward to seeing you again, but for the sake of the court he has to show a certain... distance to his children. Once you have to shoulder the burden of the crown, you will understand his reasons."

"I don't care," Joffrey sneered petulantly. "Where is my mother?"

"In her rooms with your sister. Your father has not told her about your imminent arrival, to avoid her doing anything that could impact upon your reputation." Jon explained carefully. "Your father has given very strict orders regarding your treatment at court."

Joffrey said nothing, but he simply pushed past the old lord and marched away. No one stopped him, as it was about sure that the boy would go to see his mother, who was more than likely to show him the affection his father denied him. But he left a worried lord behind, who had his fair share of experience with the Baratheon temper.

"He is truly his father's son," Jon muttered, before he turned towards the remaining guests, "Ah, but forgive my rudeness. The servants here will show you all to your rooms. On the king's orders you all will get quarters closer to his own, for the short stay here." Then he motioned for the servants to come. As if they had suddenly formed out of thin air, a large number of men and women appeared, to bring the guests and their belongings to their rooms. The Hand of king only nodded politely at them, before he went on to find Robert and Ned.

"Don't you think that you are too harsh on your son?" Ned Stark asked, as he and Robert had reached the council chamber, where they sat down to talk.

Robert sighed, knowing what Ned meant, "I have to treat him like that, Ned. You know better than anyone what burdens will await him. He needs to be strong. He needs to be a warrior. Coddling will do him no favors. It will only make him weak. That's why I wanted him away from his mother. Cersei is not good for the boy."

"Joffrey has learned fast. He and Robb spurred each other on, as they tried to surpass the other in their training. Ser Roderick is very pleased with their progress. But all the prince does, he does to earn your respect. Don't crush his spirit by denying him that for ever." It truly worried Ned. Joffrey held great admiration for his father and wanted to live up to the Baratheon name. But Robert's shadow might still be far too great for the boy to escape.

"I'm glad that you have taken this duty, Ned. My son has to be ready. Now more than ever. Soon he will have to face adversary like none he had seen before."

"You are talking about the Tourney at Highgarden," Ned asked for clarification, "Joffrey might still be a bit too young to join the lists for the Jousting."

"Nonsense. At his age I had already participated in several melees and had my first tilt against men thrice my age. He is a Baratheon of Storm's End, he will succeed."

"He may be your son, but he is not you, Robert," Ned warned him.

The king chuckled darkly, his eyes drifting towards a tapestry that depicted the first Tourney had won. So many years ago, in a time when all had seemed so much easier, before the rebellion. Before her death... "No. You are right. He is not me. I know that he has that cursed Lannister blood in him, but I hope that the time in the North has done enough to prevent him from becoming one of that traitorous brood. He may not be of the wolf blood of your family, but at least he will have your spirit."

Ned looked sadly at his friend, as he realized what Robert truly meant. Had Lyanna lived, Joffrey might have been her son. Robert still mourned the woman he had lost and the connection to the North that he had craved. But to force such hopes on Joffrey, this would inevitably disunite Robert and his son.

"But it is not too late to ensure that the future kings of my line will share your blood as well, Ned."

"Robert..."

"My son has reached the age where I have to consider possible spouses for him. But none of these feeble minded girls in the southern kingdoms are what I want for my son. No, they will not do. But you, you have a daughter near his age. My son and your daughter, with them we will finally join our Houses."

Though this was not as surprising as it should have been, Ned was still at loss for words. Jon Arryn had once mentioned in a letter than Robert had once mentioned in a drunken haze, that he expected his son to bring home a northern bride and that he expected Joffrey to be able to do what he could not. To protect the girl and marry her. It was obvious what Robert wanted. Sansa was only slightly younger than the prince and she was smitten with him, though the same could not be said the other way round. So far Joffrey had not paid any girl much attention, as he was too focused on becoming a man who could earn his father's recognition.

"I will announce it during the feast for Renly's wedding, when everyone is in attendance, even those traitorous dogs from Dorne." Robert said, a fierce grin now visible. With his wild beard, it looked almost feral.

"Your brother's wedding is hardly the right place for such an announcement. It is Renly's day and spoiling it by stealing the attention would hardly reconcile you with your brothers."

"What would you know about my brothers..." Robert muttered angrily.

"Enough. Jon kept me appraised of most things. Among the things he has told me, he was most worried about your failing relationship with Renly and Stannis."

"A relationship can hardly fail, when it has never been there. They may share the same father and mother with me, but I don't count them as brothers. I have only one brother, the one I have chosen myself. You, Ned. You are the only brother I need. The only brother who has always believed in me. Stannis was loyal, yes, but every time I see him, I can see the silent accusation in his eyes, that so many have suffered in Storm's End, because of my decision to fight for Lyanna. Unlike him I refuse to believe the words of the traitors. I refuse to believe that she went willingly!"

Ned could only shake his head in sadness. It had been hard to accept, but in the end he trusted that Ser Arthur was a man of honor, one who would not lie about something so crucial. But knowing that Lyanna had went willingly, offered the solace that she might have been happy in the time before her death... happier than an unwilling captive at least.

"It has been so many years, it is time to let it go, Robert. We cannot bring back the dead and we should not quarrel with the living for their sake. You and Stannis may disagree, but that does not mean that you have to fight over it," Jon Arryn said, as he entered the room. The wizened man, smiled kindly, as he saw his former wards sitting together. Despite the years apart, their friendship was still strong and it gave the old man hope that maybe the peace could be maintained. With Ned at his side, Robert would not loose his cool once he has to face the remnants of the past he had tried to crush.

"Stannis will stay here, in King's Landing. I won't suffer his presence during the Tourney." Robert decided grumpily. "Once I have returned... we will see what will happen."

"Renly is his brother as well. Don't you think that he might want to be there as well?"

Robert ignored the question, as he studied another tapestry stubbornly.

"Fine. But promise me, Robert, you won't do anything foolish at your brother's wedding. The Tyrell's may not be fully on our side, but neither do they oppose us. Don't give them a reason for thoughts of rebellion." Jon asked cautiously.

"You should rather hope that the dragon whore does nothing that would give me a reason to have her and her entire ilk executed. She and that bastard Jaime Lannister are mocking me and I won't accept it, should they continue to do so in my presence." Robert snapped.

"The girl has not given us any reason to doubt her vow. She has given up all claims to the throne, so we have no reason to antagonize her or her family. Enough people have died because of her father and grandfather, I doubt that she is willing to sacrifice more for needless revenge." Ned tried to reassure Robert, but with little success. The king's resentment of the former royal family was still too great and the knowledge that something of Rhaegar Targaryen still existed in the Seven Kingdoms was excruciating for Robert.

"The girl is dangerous. She is a Targaryen, they are all mad, one way or another." Robert defended his resentment, "I will keep a very close eye on her while we are at Highgarden."

"Do what you must, but act responsible, Robert. The realm can ill afford another war."

"Fine. Fine. If I wanted nagging I would have gone to Cersei's chambers!" Robert had clearly reached the limit of his willingness to listen, so he stood up and left the room swiftly. Neither Ned nor Jon followed him. In all the years they had known him by now, they had learned that it was better to allow him to cool off. Sooner or later he would come back, looking apologetic. No more words would be spoken about the reason for the quarrel, but all would be well again, at least for Robert.

"He is still unable to make his peace with the past," Ned stated worriedly. He looked at Jon Arryn, his former mentor, who had not just raised him, but also stood by his side and supported him in the darkest moment of his family's history.

"It will be better now, Ned. He has missed you. He needs you. Be the brother he needs and all will be well. The last few days he has become a better, a brighter man, just because of his happiness that he would see you again. As long as you stay by his side, he will not falter. And maybe... maybe you can even do what I could not. Maybe you can help him reconcile with his past. This Tourney at Highgarden will be the perfect place. It may be just the wishful thinking of this foolish old man, but I hope that you may even find a way to rebuild the trust we have lost with some of the southern lords. As I have said, the realm can ill afford another war at this time. We need this peace or there won't be a realm left when the next winter comes."

* * *

**A/N: Alright, a short chapter this time. But I guess we all want to move on to the tourney, where the real action will happen. And this was more like a introduction chapter for the other side in the conflict. Robb and Joffrey as begrudging friends is rather unorthodox, but hey, we all have to try new things every now and then.**

**Robert won't be a total jerk, in fact I will try to show him as the broken man he is. I think I did not do him justice in the first version of this story, so I will try better this time. He is quite interesting, though one can easily reduce him to a drunken whore monger who has ruined his realm. Well, let's see what will happen to him in the future, especially now that Ned is back by his side.**


	7. Martial

Highgarden, seat of House Tyrell and the heart of the Reach. It was truly a sight to behold, especially to Jon Snow. All he had known so far was Sunspear and the Old Palace. It was the first time he had been allowed to leave the place where he had grown up and had it not been for Princess Rhaenys, he would not have gotten this chance.

It came as a complete surprise, when she cam to him, briefly before she would depart for Highgarden, to offer him a place as her personal servant. She could have just demanded his loyal service, but instead she gave him a choice. A choice to escape Sunspear, to escape the dark looks and resentful murmurs. He had no idea why she wanted him to come, as he had only been in contact with her, whenever Obara Sand needed him as living target practice for the princess' martial education.

But it did not matter, he accepted her offer quickly. Happily. He followed the dragon princess to the west, to a different kingdom and to the greatest tourney since the days of Harrenhal. And so far what he had seen had not disappointed him. Everything seemed grand, ostentatious and awe inspiring.

"And they claim steadfast that they are not flaunting the wealth of the Reach," Jason Lannister said with a laugh, as he rode next to the princess.

Rhaenys laughed merrily, as she remembered what he was talking about. "Let them talk, we all know that no one flaunts wealth as well as a Lannister."

Jon watched them from his place behind them. He was to stay close to Rhaenys, which had the perk that he was given a horse of his own to keep up with her. But he also had to stay a distance, unless she called for him. Her uncle, Prince Oberyn, had made sure to remind him, that close contact to her would have consequences.

"Laugh all you want, Rhaenys, in the end you will be happy to have your haughty desert lions at your side," Jason replied in challenge, a mocking smirk on his lips.

Jon wasn't sure what to think about the Lannister heir. So far his contact with the boy had been scarce, due to the difference of their station and Jason Lannister's journey's with Prince Oberyn. But he knew one thing for sure, Jason was by all means what people said about Lannisters. Haughty, but charming if they want to be. Strong but short-tempered. Many of the serving girls in the Old Palace swooned at his sight, but there was only one girl, except his sisters, who he ever bestowed his attention upon. Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.

"But of course, especially with your favorite new toy. You look so intimidating, the Usurper and his ilk will run away, crying for their mothers," Rhaenys laughed lightly, as she watched Jason's reaction. "What do you say, Jon? My dear friend here is the most daring and dashing of all the knights in Westeros, don't you think?"

Both Rhaenys and Jason turned their heads, so they could see Jon, who felt rather uncomfortable under their scrutiny. He wasn't even sure what she expected him to say. Oh gods, what had he gotten himself into, when he accepted to serve this young woman?

"As you say, your grace," Jon replied carefully. Moments later he wasn't sure whether his answer had been right, as the princess rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"Don't torture the poor boy too much, Rhaenys. You know he is duty bound to agree with you." Jason reprimanded the princess lightly.

"Boy?" Rhaenys laughed, "As far as I know, this 'boy' is older than you, Jason."

"But not wiser. He is as untried as the day he had been born," Jason stated, "Tell me, Jon Snow, have you ever shared the bed of a beautiful maiden?" Jon could only shake his head, before Jason continued, "Have you ever shed the blood of an enemy?" Again the young bastard could only shake his head, "But you have seen blood, aye?"

"The steward of the Old Palace has sometimes sent me to the butchers, to help with the meat for the keep. There was plenty of blood, but I fear not the kind you were talking about, my lord."

A boisterous laugh escaped Jason, as he heard Jon's words, "No, I did not mean the butchers, though that is also a bloody work. Prince Oberyn had me hunt our food and learn to prepare it, so I can see what you mean, Jon. And I am not a lord... yet. Merely a squire. But stay close to me and I will make a man out of you in no time."

Rhaenys steered her horse closer to Jason's, so she could punch his shoulder. She did not hit him hard at all, but the young Lannister still pretended to nearly fall off his horse.

"Cease your attempts to steal my servant, Jason!" Rhaenys hissed at him.

"My dear princess, you wound me so with your accusation. To think that I would steal from you... preposterous. Unless, of course, that your new servant wants to work for me instead. What do you say, Jon Snow, interested in following me to the next best adventure we can find on the road?"

"I... I serve the princess... I am sorry." Jon stammered in return.

"See, he is my servant. Truly loyal to his princess," Rhaenys said smugly.

But Jason obviously did not mind this at all. No, he actually looked quite content, "A pity, but at least I know that he is loyal to you. We cannot allow a man to serve you, whose allegiance changes as soon as he gets a better offer." He emphasized the word better so much that the princess punched his shoulder again.

"Careful, you ego should better not get any bigger or else there won't be room for any other people in your world, Jason." Both of them laughed.

But Jon wasn't sure what he was supposed to think about this entire conversation. The only thing he knew for sure, was that it would have been so much easier for him, had he chosen to stay a servant in the Old Palace. Now that he was inevitably trapped with them, he realized that all those noble born children were not just odd, but quite mad, each in their own way.

"Ah, it seems that we have dallied a bit too much, dear princess. Your mother and my father have already arrived and they are waiting with the Tyrells. And by the looks they are not happy." Jason said with a sigh.

They had been so engrossed in their conversation, that they had not realized that they had fallen back to the middle of their group. Ser Jaime and Princess Elia had already arrived and greeted their hosts. Rhaenys' mother looked quite displeased at her daughter, though Ser Jaime seemed more amused than angered by his son's conduct.

Jon watched as the princess face lost all signs of the mirth she had shown before. Instead a mask of respectful disinterest took its place, as they had reached large yard, where the Tyrells had come to welcome the Targaryen in Westeros.

Jason was the first to dismount, so the young Lannister could help the princess down from her own horse. Everyone in attendance knew that Rhaenys was very much able to get down herself, but the mere fact that she had decided to ride on her own horse and her choice of clothing for this was enough breach of proper protocol that he mother would have allowed. Of course Rhaenys knew that she was supposed to impress the Tyrells as a lady, but she had refused to be something that she was not. But she has made concessions.

"My lord, may I introduce, Rhaenys Targaryen, the bronze dragon princess of Dorne, last living grandchild of King Aerys Targaryen and rightful heiress of the Iron Throne." Ser Jaime said, as his son lead the princess to Mace Tyrell.

Jon observed the scene from a distance, be he could clearly see the annoyance on the princess face, though she tried to hide it. He knew that this wasn't the first time Princess Rhaenys has met the Tyrells, but everything had a protocol to follow, no matter whether they liked it or not. Or maybe it wasn't the tedious protocol, but the numerous nobles, who had come to sate their curiosity. Though no one dared to speak loudly, out of fear to miss something, the hushed whispers these nobles traded, had quickly become an annoying buzzing in the background.

"Lord Tyrell, you have honored us with the invitation to your daughter's wedding and your tourney." Rhaenys said, trying hard to sound as grateful as she was supposed to feel. However, it was obviously enough to satisfy the lord of the Reach. The man smiled brightly and watched the princess fondly, as she moved on to his sons.

"Princess Rhaenys, it is you who honors us with your presence." Willas Tyrell, Lord Mace's oldest son and heir, said, as he took Rhaenys hand and pressed a kiss on her knuckles. "I will strife to make your stay an enjoyable one."

"Then I will be looking forward to what you have planned, Lord Willas," Rhaenys replied with a charming smile.

"I hope you can forgive my sister for her absence, but the preparations for her wedding take up nearly all of her time at the moment." Willas continued, an apologetic look on his face.

The princess could not fully hide the brief look of disappointment on her face, but it passed as quickly as it had come. "Think nothing of it. I am sure that we will have the time to meet later today."

She quickly moved on to Willas brothers, though she traded only few words with Ser Garlan and Ser Loras. The latter offered to see her to her chambers in the keep.

"Princess," Ser Jaime stopped her, before she could follow Loras, a serious look on the elder Lannister's face, "Be careful inside the keep. King Robert and his family have arrived not long ago and though they reside in a different wing of the keep, you should be ever vigilant." Jason was quickly by her side, when he heard his father's words, "And you better stay close to her, Jason. Don't let the princess and your sister out of your sight, is that clear?"

"Yes, father. None of her enemies will harm her as long as I guard her," Jason replied confidently.

"Just don't die like a fool and get help when needed," Jaime reminded his son, before he turned away and walked towards the approaching wheelhouse, which brought his wife and daughter.

* * *

It wasn't much later on the same day, that Jon Snow found himself on the wide field of a training yard once again. But unlike the one in Sunspear, which was a sparsely decorated place, filled with sand that had been drenched with the blood and sweat of countless men, the yard at Highgarden was surrounded by thick trees and decorated with statues of the proudest warriors the Tyrell and Gardner families had given birth to.

The princess had not waited for long after her arrival, before she insisted on being shown to a place where she could train. Jon did not know, whether it was out of boredom or a sense of duty, that she insisted on her daily training, but he did know that it both pleased Rhaenys' cousins and companions. Nevertheless, it obviously displeased her mother, who had reprimanded the princess to be the noble born daughter she was supposed to be and not the warrior princess that she dreamed off.

Much to their amusement Princess Rhaenys' fervor for the martial training, was an even greater surprise for their current hosts. The poor servant girl, who had falsely believed that the princess had asked to be lead to the other noble ladies, who sought to perfect their needle work, had looked aghast and shocked, when Jason Lannister had corrected her mistake. Even more the princess enjoyed the astonished looks on the faces of Ser Garlan and Ser Loras, who had been at the training yard, when Rhaenys arrived with her rather impressive entourage.

It was the younger Tyrell, Ser Loras, who recovered first and complied with the princess' wish to train with her. His older brother took several steps back and joined Jason, Ser Arthur and Obara Sand, who watched the scene from the benches, that framed the yard.

No one had a doubt about the outcome of this fight. Ser Loras was well known as a highly skilled knight and though he obviously went easy on the martial girl, Rhaenys did not stand much of a chance. Not that it did anything to diminish her fervor. Obara's teaching style often included learning from painful mistakes, so Rhaenys was used to this kind of bruising, but educational training exercise.

Ser Loras often looked unsure and worried, whenever he landed a rather painful hit on the princess. Not even Jason's insistence that he had done nothing wrong did little to lighten the knight's uneasiness.

Jon watched all of this with great interest, as the men here at Highgarden were obviously that much different to the ones in Sunspear. The mere idea to see a woman fighting was obviously foreign to them. Ridiculous even. In Sunspear no one would have questioned Rhaenys place on a training yard. Or maybe they never questioned her because of who she is. What she is. She is a Targaryen. Born royalty, even after the downfall of her family. Her name obviously carried much power, even in the fourteenth year of the Usurper's reign.

It was only an hour and several more fights with Ser Loras, Ser Garlan and Jason later, that the princess seemed satisfied and ready to return to her rooms. She seemed quite happy, though it must have been clear to her, that her mother would be severely displeased by her conduct. All of them knew how much the Tyrells' opinion of her would determine the princess' future life. Yet she had obviously left a quite profound impression on the younger Tyrell brothers. Not the one her mother would have wanted, but one they would certainly not forget any time soon.

However, Jon's attention was not on the princess and her rather disheveled look, but on something else. A young canine animal, who had snuck up on him, without his notice. Its fur was a gray as smoke and its eyes a deep yellow, which unnerved Jon quite a bit. But it wasn't him, who was alert at the presence of the animal.

"Careful, Snow. Move away from the beast. Slowly. Then we will kill it," Jason Lannister said. He watched the animal warily, his sword drawn and ready to strike. "But what is a wolf doing here of all places?"

"Don't know, don't care. It has too die," Obara muttered, as she readied her spear, to throw it at the wolf.

"Grey Wind! Come here," Someone yelled from the other side of the yard. There they could see another group, lead by a boy, who looked not much older than Jon himself. But the wolf did not go to that boy, but another one, who stood not far behind him. A boy with reddish brown hair.

"That is Prince Joffrey, King Robert's son and heir, together with Robb Stark, the heir of Winterfell," Ser Garlan supplied quickly, as he saw his guests questioning looks.

Jason allowed himself a derisive chuckle, "So the Starks now live with the wild animals. Why am I not surprised? They have always been wilder than the rest of us."

"Jason, we are leaving!" Princess Rhaenys announced loudly.

Jon, Ser Arthur and Obara followed them quickly to the keep. However, as they approached the keep, their path was blocked by Prince Joffrey and his companions.

"Now look at this, a princess who seeks the thrill of battle. And here I thought your youngest sister was the only one who would rather be a man," the prince told the Stark boy, as they both shared a laugh.

"You are in my way, little boy. Change that. Now!" Rhaenys said, as she stared at the Baratheon prince. Her tone was commanding, bar the respect that the prince was used to hear from any of the noble women he had ever encountered in the south.

"I am the crown prince of the Seven Kingdoms. I will be THE king and you will show me respect," Joffrey growled.

"Calm, Joffrey, she is trying to rile you up," Robb Stark said in an attempt to quiet the prince.

"Yes, listen to your friend. You want respect, then earn it. But try not to use your tongue, you obviously don't know how to use it properly. Now get out of my way, little boy!" Rhaenys said. But she did not wait for Joffrey's reply, instead she pushed past him and disappeared inside the keep.

"Careful. Do not push her or you won't like the outcome." Jason told the prince darkly, "And all of us are guests here, so do not shame our hosts by shedding blood at a wedding... cousin!"

The prince looked surprised, as he heard the last word. He had obviously no idea that the blond boy in Princess Rhaenys' entourage was actually his cousin.

"Snow, hurry up," Jason told Jon, before he dragged him back inside the keep and away from the Usurper's son. "We need to get you a sword, Snow. You are Rhaenys' servant and as such you will stay close to her. I don't trust the Usurper's ilk, nor do I trust their friends. Guard her with your life or I swear by the gods, I will destroy you and anyone who dares to harm her." The young Lannister said, a grave look in his amethyst colored eyes. There was no doubt that he meant what he had said. No one would doubt that Jason Lannister was just as devoted to his princess as his father.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, another short one, but a small update is better than no update.**


	8. Encounters

**Alright, though I am admittedly still a bit clueless about why the view numbers are declining steadily, I still wanted to give you all a small present for Easter. So you get a new chapter, a small one, featuring Baratheon brothers, wolves, lions and a kraken.**

**However, I have come to another decision. This story has obviously developed in a completely different direction than A Lion's Duty. Though both stories have started similiar, the storylines are already too different to claim that they are the same. I can no longer consider this story a mere rewrite, so from now on I will consider this a new story and as such this story will get a new name to show that it is not A Lion's Duty. So starting next chapter, this story will carry a different name. I will call it _'Summer's End'_, at least until I have found a more fitting name.**

* * *

"I still don't understand your reasons for marrying this Tyrell girl, Renly. Her family's actions are bordering treason and you are making a fool out of yourself by not seeing it," Robert complained, as he sat in his room, together with his youngest brother.

Renly Baratheon was nothing like his brother these days. He was more the man Robert used to be, before many years of complacency on the throne had reduced him to little more than an overweight shadow of his former might. Renly had all he had lost. He was tall, handsome and the well liked among his people. Robert, though... he was liked among the nobles for his ostentatious feasts and the regular tourneys in the capital, but the warrior who was once feared and adored was gone. And it irked Robert how much Renly's appearance bothered him because of this.

"Don't you see the benefits, brother? I am trying to repair whatever is left of our family's ties to the lords of the Reach. This marriage will do what Lord Arryn has tried futilely for so long." Renly replied calmly, before he motioned for a servant to come and refill his and his brother's cups. "Why go to war when a feast, a tourney and a wedding can gain us so much more?"

"Don't try to fool me, Renly. Those aren't your words. Did that Tyrell girl whisper them into your ear, while you dallied with her brother?"

"I am not sure what you are alluding to, Robert," Renly replied, looking nonplussed.

Robert took a greedy gulp from his cup, before he groused, "Don't bullshit me, Renly. Had I not squashed those rumors, then half of the Seven Kingdoms would know about your... abnormal desires. Do you have any idea about the shame you nearly caused our family?"

"Like they know that you and your queen have not shared the same bed for years, yet you have plenty of entertainment in your chambers? Tell me brother, how many bastards do you have? Twenty-three? No, twenty-six. By the last count at least. And you tell me about shame?"

Robert was furious and would have voiced his anger, had it not been just that moment, that the doors to his chambers opened. Cersei entered, followed by a gaggle of servants and ladies in her employ. Her looks were brief, but decidedly cold, as she saw the two Baratheon brothers. It was obvious that Cersei Lannister felt nothing but contempt for her husband and his family, but she carefully maintained the mask of indifference in front of their hosts, to avoid the scandal of a royal dispute.

"Trust me this once, Robert. I know what I am doing here. I will give you the loyalty of all Seven Kingdoms," Renly whispered urgently. Then he stood up and quickly left the room, giving only a brief bow to the queen, before he disappeared. Robert was furious and his wife in no mood to humor him. The Seven Hells would be a better place to be, compared to the room these two had to share.

* * *

"The nerve of this girl. To call me a little boy! A little boy! Can you believe it, Robb?" Joffrey Baratheon ranted.

"She certainly knew how to enrage you, Joffrey. Not that it is particularly hard to do that," Robb Stark replied, with a good natured laugh. "But she sure did not disappoint. They said she would be different and by the gods, this girl is not what we had expected a princess to be like."

"I have been informed, that you had an... unplanned meeting with the Targaryen princess," Lord Eddard Stark said, as he entered the training yard, where his son and his wards had been for the past hours. "Nothing bad has happened, I hope?"

"No, father. A few barbs have been traded, but nothing of note has happened."

"But you should have seen her. Running around like a wildling. Her hair in disarray, dressed like a man and armed with sword and spear. That was not a princess at all," Joffrey ranted, though he tried to downplay the profound impression Rhaenys Targaryen had left on him. "But she was... amazing, as well. I have not met a girl quite like her before, though I believe that loving her would be as dangerous as a casual stroll behind the Wall."

"Princess Rhaenys has been raised in Dorne, your grace. Their treatment of women differs greatly from ours, I'm afraid. From all we have been told about her, it would be safe to assume that she has been raised as if she was noble son. Do not underestimate her or any of those she surrounds herself with. She may have given up her claim to the throne, but there are still many who would prefer to see her family restored to their former greatness. Should she best you, it might only encourage more people to reconsider their opinions."

"Father, among her servants was boy who did look nothing like the other Dornishmen. In fact he did look... Northern..."

"A bastard, nothing more. Did you not hear them. They called him Snow. It was another trick to ridicule us. That arrogant wench thinks this is a game we play and she intends to humiliate us before she wins. Too bad she won't win."

"Careful, your grace, it is seldom wise to underestimate the Targaryens," Ned cautioned his ward, "And we are not here to open up old wounds. The rebellion is long gone and Princess Rhaenys has little to gain by challenging you or your father. Leave her be and she will keep the peace."

"Even if she is mocking me? You demand that I should let it slide and act as if nothing had happened."

"I ask of you to proof that you are indeed the true heir to the Iron Throne. Show strength and tenacity. Earn the respect of those around you. And never forget your honor. Your father might not share my opinion, but without honor we will never know peace, your grace," Ned advised the prince sagely. "And if possible, stay away from that princess and those close to her."

"This isn't right. We are not playing games with these people. This is a battle of wills and I will not loose!" Joffrey announced loudly. He was stubborn, especially when challenged. Rhaenys Targaryen had challenged him and he would not back down. She wants to play games? Very well, he would show her. And he was sick and tired of listening to the reprimands of others. His father cared as little as possible about him, his mother was overbearing and doubted his skills and even his mentor saw him as nothing more but a child he had to chide and educate. He was a prince, a future king and he would show the entire realm that he would be better than any of those Targaryens before him. With a furious look he stormed out of the room, not looking whether anyone was following him or not.

Ned sighed, as he watched the prince leave, "So much anger. Even in ten more years I wouldn't be able to rid him of it. He truly is Robert's son..." Ours is the Fury, the famous words of House Baratheon and their ever lasting curse. "Robb, where are your sisters?"

"Sansa left not long ago, after she had been invited to join the Queen's ladies for the afternoon. But Arya... I don't know where she is." Robb answered truthfully.

"Then please go and find her. It is getting late and though I trust that the Tyrells will not disregard the rules of courtesy towards guests, there a great many other guests here and not all of them look upon us with friendly thoughts." Ned advised his son.

Robb nodded curtly, before he left, followed by his wolf. With Grey Wind at his side, it shouldn't be hard to find Arya. Especially as long as she had her own wolves with her. So he let his wolf lead him through the long halls of Highgarden. They went down the many stairs of the keep, until they had reached the gardens. A tranquil place, especially in the dim twilight of the early night. The formerly colorful rose bushes were now all a wide variation of blacks and blues, though the lack of color did not dim the impressive smell. To Robb, who was only used to the North and its wild and untamed land, the flowers of the Reach were unusual. It was as if the land tried to be as overbearing as its owners.

"Come on, boy, find Arya. Surely she must be close," Robb encourage his wolf, as Grey Wind had stopped and looked quizzically at his master. But as soon as the words had left Robb's mouth, the wolf suddenly sprinted away and disappeared behind the bushes. Robb followed hoping that Grey Wind was really trying to find his sister and not just some little critter for an evening snack.

But the shocked exclamation he suddenly heard made it clear that the wolf had not found himself a meal. Neither had he found Arya. As Robb caught up to his canine companion, he saw that the wolf had found a young girl, who must have been strolling through the garden. An extinguished torch was on the ground next from her, embers still glowing brightly. It could only mean that she must have dropped it, when Grey Wind appeared.

"Grey Wind, heel!" Robb said furiously. The last thing he needed was for someone at the keep to claim that his family's wolves were a danger to the other guests. Though the wolves were not as domesticated as the hounds in the kennels, he and his siblings had their wolves under control.

As soon as his wolf was back by his side, Robb allowed himself a closer look at the girl Grey Wind had startled. He realized that she wasn't as young as he had expected at first. When he had heard her gasp and seen her in shadows of the gardens, she seemed much smaller at first. But now he would have to guess that she was closer to Sansa in age, possibly. Long hair, as fair as that of the queen, or at least it seemed to be, in the dim light. He cursed himself for not bringing a torch of his own, when he entered the dark garden. He truly would have liked to this girl better.

"I have been promised an unforgettable stay at Highgarden, but I was unaware that the Tyrell's share they carefully crafted gardens with wild animals!" The girl said, anger mixed into her voice.

"Please forgive Grey Wind, he is just curious and we are looking for someone," Robb replied, slightly irked by her tone. She did not sound like a frightened maiden at all. Or maybe she just tried to downplay her fear of the wild wolf by acting aloof.

"Grey Wind?" She demanded to know.

"My wolf. But you need not fear him. He will not harm you, as long as he does not deem you a threat."

She snorted, much to his amusement. It did not suit the way she looked like at all. But maybe there were more young girls like Arya, who did not put as much stock into propriety and expectations as they should. Gods know, he had seen the most unladylike princess in Westeros only hours ago.

"Forgive me if this insults you, but even a man with only half a brain would be able to see who is the threat here. On a second thought, I don't even feel sorry at all if this insults you," she said deliberately.

Robb chuckled, this girl was nothing like the other young ladies he had met in the south so far. His mother and Sansa would be abhorred by such speech.

"Insult or not, I ask your forgiveness for startling you." Robb said. "But may I ask whom I am speaking to?"

"Without as much as an introduction of your own? The stories are true, you northerners are different from the Andal people in the South. I would instruct you in proper courtly behavior, common in the southern kingdoms, but alas I neither have the time, nor the patience to indulge you."

He ignored her barb, though he did feel amazed how she could be so arrogant, yet seem vulnerable and pure as the maiden herself. "I am Robb Stark, son and heir of Lord Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North." Robb replied, trying to remain calm and courteous despite the rudeness that was shown him, "So may I now know the name of this lady before me, so I can remember who has insulted me on this night?"

She seemed hesitant for a moment. His identity had obviously surprised her or maybe it was his comment about her rudeness. But no matter, she soon regained her wits and answered, "Joanna Lannister, daughter of Ser Jaime Lannister and loyal servant of the last dragon in Westeros!" She spoke with such great pride, he couldn't help himself but smirk. But he was also surprised. So this was the daughter of the only Lannister who had chosen honor over power. Her family must trust the Tyrells greatly, for her to walk around without guards. Especially so late at night. Then he realized that this girl was also Joffrey's cousin. From the few sentences they had exchanged, he could already guess that she was likely just as haughty as he was.

"A strange pleasure, making your acquaintance, my lady. Especially at this hour and place. The gardens can be dangerous place at night."

"No more dangerous than living with a wild animal, I suppose."

"A fair point. So maybe the lady will allow me to lead her back to the keep. So I can rest assured that no harm has befallen you today."

"What a noble knight you are, Lord Stark," she replied mockingly. "As it is, I was on my way back to the keep, when you and your pet accosted me," Joanna replied.

Grey Wind obviously disliked the pet comment, so he growled lightly. But the wolf wouldn't harm the girl and calmed down, when Robb patted his head.

"But you may accompany me, for now," she did not even wait for a reply, as she started walking past him. She did not even shy away in fear, when Grey Wind growled again as she ventured to close to him.

She walked at a fast pace, so they quickly reached the keep and its long hallways. Now, in the proper light, he could see her as she truly was. He had been right. She did look quite similar to the queen and her daughter. The same golden hair, woven in intricate patterns. Similar facial features, which gave her an aristocratic and almost haughty look. But her eyes were different. Queen Cersei had green eyes, filled with contempt whenever she looked at him or his father. Or the king for the matter. Queen Cersei was a quite vengeful woman. But this girl... Joanna's eyes were a dark shade of purple, similar to those of Princess Rhaenys. They seemed almost haunting in the light of the braziers and torches around them. It was almost as if she could stare into his very soul with those strange orbs. But now these eyes were filled with mirth, as she must have caught him staring at her.

"I do hope that your thoughts are not as offending as your eyes suggests, Lord Stark, else my brother might feel inclined to remove them." She laughed lightly.

But Robb had no time to register her words, as Grey Wind had started to growl at something or someone behind him. As he turned around he saw once more the young Lannister, who had accompanied Princess Rhaenys. Jason. He remembered his name. His face was impassive, but Robb could see how the boy's hand twitched towards a dagger on his belt.

"Has this man hassled you, Joanna?"

"No, dear brother, he has not. He was merely kind enough to guide me back to the keep, after I had lost my way in the gardens. He has been courteous. But his pet does not seem to like me at all." Joanna replied with a small smile.

Robb really wasn't sure what he was supposed to think about this girl. She had no qualms insulting him. Directly and indirectly. She obviously liked to play games with words, though he had met many people who were much better than her at this game.

"Then you have my thanks, Stark. I appreciate the gesture, but my sister and I will have to leave now," Jason said cordially, as he walked over to his sister and stood by her side. "We should head back to our rooms, Joanna. Mother has been looking for you and the princess has asked for you as well."

"Of course," Joanna replied dutifully. "It seems that I have to bid you farewell, Lord Stark." She inclined her head slightly, before she walked away.

Jason remained for another moment, as he looked at Robb with great interest. "Tell me, Stark, are you joining the melee at this tourney?"

"I am," Robb replied, curious what the other boy was up to now.

"Then I will be looking forward to facing you. Let us test our strength. No House Lannister, no House Stark. Just two young men, testing their strength against each other. You and the one you call prince shall be my rivals at this tourney."

Robb's curiosity was truly piqued now. Just what was this crazy Lannister up to? But he wouldn't shy away from such an open invitation. What could possibly go wrong during a tourney melee? Nothing that would have lasting consequences. "I will find you during the fighting. Try not to get defeated too early," Robb told him, a challenging look on his face. The young Lannister laughed lightly, before he followed his sister and disappeared around a corner.

"I see that you have met the golden children. A strange lot, those two."

Robb turned around and came face to face with Theon Greyjoy, his father's ward and one of his best friends. The young man looked much more jovial than the last time he had seen him. It could only mean that he had found ample entertainment.

"Having a good evening, Theon?"

"Aye. I must say that I enjoy Highgarden much more than I had expected. If this continues for the coming weeks we will be spending here, this might very well become my favorite place in the Seven Kingdoms," Theon laughed boisterously. "And you, you of course set your sights on the most impossible of all prices. Well except the fair princesses of course. But the jewel of House Lannister, ain't you the ambitious one."

"You are mistaken, I had no such intentions. I was searching for Arya, but happened upon her in the gardens," Robb replied, slightly flustered. Not to mention that he found the young lady a bit too outspoken for his liking, no matter how beautiful she may seem.

"Of course," Theon replied, not convinced by Robb's words. "Let us hope that the young lady is not like her aunt. Such a frigid woman."

"Careful, Theon, father would not like to hear you insult the queen."

"I said nothing but the truth. Such a lovely woman, yet all the people around her see are her sneers and the baleful glare she sends all those she considers beneath her, which would be just about every other person in the Seven Kingdoms." Theon said.

The young Greyjoy walked past Robb, towards the entrance to the gardens, where he stopped and looked around, "And you say you have met your fair lady in these gardens?" Robb nodded, unsure what Theon was getting at now, "Maybe I should take a walk in them myself. Who knows what pretty maiden I can find in there." He laughed loudly, but only got a mere smirk in return from Robb.

"Do what you want, but try not to offend our hosts by doing anything that could be considered untoward to any of the noble ladies here."

"Me, doing anything that would go against a lady's will? Perish the thought, Robb. You must think me a monster to even say that," Theon looked mockingly at Robb.

"Of course, Theon. Shall I remind you of the trouble you have caused with your attempts to bed one of Lady Mormonts' daughters?"

Theon laughed again, louder this time. "Now you are comparing fair ladies to the wild bears of the North, Robb. Hardly a fitting comparison at all."

The whole affair Robb had alluded to, had ended very much in Theon's disfavor, as he had suddenly found himself at the receiving end of Dacey Mormonts wrath. Though they did not know for sure, the girl later claimed that she had hunted him nearly all the way to White Harbor, before he gave up and 'allowed' her to bring back to Winterfell in chains as punishment. Theon was loath to talk about it ever since. Worse yet for him, Dacey had accompanied Robb's father in place of her mother, to represent House Mormont. He had yet to spend a moment alone with her in the same room.

"Just be careful, Theon." Robb said with a deep sigh, "Now I still have to find Arya."

"That one is easy to find. She and her wolves are at the kennels with Jory Cassel. Apparently her wolves are not as well behaved as yours," Theon joked.

Robb shook his head in dismay as he heard this. Arya's wolves were much wilder than Grey Wind, though not as wild as Shaggydog, his youngest brother's wolf. He would have to go and see for himself what trouble his sister had gotten herself into. At least she had Jory with her. He trusted the man to do what he can to keep Arya out of trouble. Nevertheless, he had little time to waste, so he quickly walked away, to find the kennels and his wayward sister.

Theon stayed behind, alone once more. Not that he minded. Maybe he would see if he could organize his entertainment for the next day. It is not like all the pretty servant girls were suddenly gone. He had told Robb the truth, this place was quickly becoming his favorite keep in the Seven Kingdoms. The Tyrell's were obviously very interested in surrounding themselves only with servants that were pleasing to the eyes. At least those servants in... visible positions. Not to mention that the whole keep was filled with pretty ladies and the castle itself was surrounded by a sea of tents, housing the majority of the other guests and their families. Oh yes, he would find ample distraction here.

He was just about to enter the gardens, when he bumped into another person. A man, slightly taller than him, dressed in a dark leather armor. He saw only one eye. A blue eye, a smiling eye. However his attention shifted away, when a woman spoke to him from behind.

"Hello, Theon. You have grown since the last time I have seen you.!"

* * *

**A/N: Okay, that is all for today, sorry. At least I hope that this placates some of you. My decision to not update every week has angered many of my long time readers and I can actually understand their disappointment. So take this chapter as a peace offering of sorts, I really don't want any more angry pms and discussions...**

**But to answer one question from the reviews about Jon. Why have the Martells decided to name him a Snow and not a Sand? I know that usually bastards get the name of their birth kingdom. In the books Jon was different, most likely because his surname would have revealed too much about his true parentage. But why did the Martells not call him Sand? I had not made this decision lightly, but in the end I have chosen Snow for the fact that they kept his parentage a secret, just as it was in the books. But Jon does look like a son of the North. Most people don't know him, all they see is a northern bastard. A northern bastard with the Snow name is not unusual. A northern bastard with the Sand surname... **


	9. Contempt

The sight from the top of the tower was astounding, even this late at night. He could see the far into the land surrounding Highgarden. The castle itself was surrounded by a sea of lights, coming from rows after rows of tents. Hundreds of lords and knights, hailing from all corners of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond, followed by an army of servants. All united for a pastime, a tourney so great that it would rival or even the historic event that had been Harrenhal. He could only pray to the gods that this time it would not end as tragic.

So much was at stake, so much danger everywhere. To him, to his family, to his princess. This was no longer the world he had been born into. A realm ruled by dragons, where most wars were family disputes of the king and his kin and where his family ruled the West, strong and proud. His father still ruled the West, ruthless as always. But the realm had changed. Great Houses were gone, their power lost forever and upon the Iron Throne sat a sad drunk, who did not even see the plots against his family. Or maybe he did not care for those who would come after him.

"A beautiful night, isn't it, Ser Jaime?"

The silky voice, even so many years after he had to hear it for the last time, Jaime still recognized it immediately. There was no need to turn around and suffer his plump and effeminate looks as well. But the true question was, why was he here? Why has Lord Varys left the safety of his quarters in King's Landing?

"I am surprised to see you here. Not enough little boys left in King's Landing, Lord Varys?" Jaime asked pointedly.

Had he turned around, he would have seen the queer look on the bald man's face. But as he kept his gaze firmly on something unseeable in the distance, Varys simply walked closer, until he stood next to Jaime. "Please, proud Ser, we should both have moved on from sociable insults and idle threats to start a conversation among men of considerable power and influence, without the delay of distrust and insecurity."

Jaime chuckled. Power and influence? He was a knight, his influence ended with the tip of his sword. At least as long as his father kept an iron grip on the Westerlands. "You have yet to answer my question, Lord Varys."

"Straight to the point then. I must say I enjoyed talking to your brother far more. He was wittier, more open to banter. But you are more your father's son in regards to this. No nonsense." Varys replied with a sigh, "But very well. I just couldn't pass up this chance to meet you eye to eye."

"Then tell me, Lord Varys, how is the boy?"

"Ah, the most delicate matter. I have great hopes for him. Should the other one disappoint, not all will be lost. But it is not as if we would be all out of options, should both of them fall prey to their family's ailment." Varys said calmly.

"Madness is no ailment, it is the great curse that threatens all the dragons," Jaime said gravely.

Varys seemed to consider his words for some moments. All Targaryens are born half-mad. Whether this curse turns them into raving madmen or mad geniuses... they still tried to find out what triggered Aerys final descent into the realm of the bile spitting tyrants. Was it merely his unhappy marriage? His envy of his more capable friend? Or were there other reasons, yet to be unveiled? For all the remaining Targaryens it would be vital for their survival to know if their inherent madness could be tamed.

"Yes, but it seems that the princess has yet to show any signs of this madness. I have watched her today and she has become quite the marvelous young lady. A pity that she will have to marry the Tyrell heir, she would have made a wonderful queen."

"Her mother's blood runs strong in her. She is more Martell than Targaryen and that is why I have great hopes that she will never follow her grandfather's dark path. Not to mention that her father was a good man. Prince Rhaegar was not insane."

"Yet he doomed his whole family and the realm, all for the sake of a northern girl," Varys stated dryly. "His madness only showed in a different way. But when we are at the topic of northern girls, I believe that you have kept a large secret from me, Ser Jaime. Though I must commend you for this feat, I am still put out by this lack of trust."

"What are you talking about?"

"The boy your princess keeps as her servant. Jon Snow."

"What about Jon Snow?" Jaime cursed inwardly. The parentage of this boy was one of the best hidden secrets in Westeros. Not even Rhaenys knew that she had taken her own half-brother as a personal servant. He did not look forward to the day she would find out. He was unsure who would earn her wrath on that day of reckoning.

"You must think me blind to all that happens in Dorne, but I can assure you that my birds come from all Seven Kingdoms, Ser Jaime. So please drop the pretense and tell me the truth. A northern bastard in Dorne, unusual, but not impossible. But a bastard, of this age and with these distinct... northern looks. Now that is something that makes me curious. Your lady has supposedly given birth to a Stark bastard, though my birds spoke of a girl, not a boy."

"Talk to me as you will, but I will not tolerate insults towards my wife. Ashara has only given birth to two girls, my daughters," Jaime replied hotly. Varys obviously knew too much about Jon to keep him a secret, but he wouldn't allow for Allyria to become another pawn in this eunuchs games.

"Then there has been only one person in Dorne, who had the chance to give birth to a Stark bastard. The lady Lyanna. Which makes Jon Snow..."

"Do not finish that sentence." Jaime growled, "You are playing a dangerous game here, Varys. You can never be sure who might hear the wrong things."

"But of course. We wouldn't wish to expose such a secret." Varys conceded, "Nevertheless, I must implore you to never again hide such things from me. Such secrets can ruin all of our carefully laid out plans. The Targaryen restoration must be handled with care and secrecy, unless you can field an army that can withstand the united power of at least four kingdoms."

"Our plans? As far as I am concerned, we are merely conversing about our duties, but my duty to the princess is not following you and your queer plans."

"We all follow the same plan, Ser Jaime. The future of the realm is our duty. And we all know what needs to be done." The eunuch said. "But for now I have to take my leave, before anyone notices my prolonged absence."

"Why have you even come here?"

"To confirm something. Now I can properly adjust our plans." Varys replied, "Expect further instructions soon, Ser Jaime."

Jaime said nothing more as the man left. What else was there to say? Varys now knew about the existence of Rhaegar's bastard. This was either very very bad or very good. Sadly in Jaime's opinion this all was most likely the former. He would have to be extra careful from now on, Rhaenys safety was not assured, as long as men like Varys played their games with her as a pawn. He would not let that happen. He would sooner kill Varys. But first he would have to find Prince Aegon and remove him the eunuch's control. The Targaryen heirs must not be controlled by the wrong kind of people.

* * *

It would have been a perfectly wonderful morning for Rhaenys Targaryen. She had been up and about with the rise of the sun, enjoying the sight from the small balcony of her room. Seeing the mist clearing over the fields and forests around Highgarden was such a breathtaking sight for a girl that had grown up surrounded by sand and stone. But something dampend her good mood immensely that very morning.

She had been invited to enjoy her breakfast with Margaery Tyrell and a selected few of her ladies. Under other circumstances she would have looked forward to this, as she enjoyed the time she could spend with her friend.

Ever since her first visit to Highgarden, when she was merely a girl of nine namedays, she and Margaery had formed an amiable companionship. Further visits of Margaery to Sunspear only furthered this, at least until the fateful tourney, where Willas Tyrell had been all but crippled in a fight against her uncle Oberyn. Martells and Tyrells had been at odds in the aftermath, though the quarrel was eventually forgotten in the light of greater threats.

But now Rhaenys dreaded the time she would have to spend with Margaery, due to the other guests. The Tyrell girl had looked almost apologetic, as she had told her that the queen and her daughter would join them as well. It was a confrontation Rhaenys had hoped she would be able to postpone for a little while longer. She would have rather watched the queen from afar, judging her character by her actions, before she would face her. However, this was no longer an option.

Worse yet, her mother had declined to join them, when she had heard about the presence of Cersei Lannister. Princess Elia had been weakened by the long travel, her feeble health was now holding her back from aiding her daughter in the face of such adversary. But they had all agreed that Elia was in no condition to show herself to the woman who had taken the seat of the queen. Showing such weakness was not an option.

Nevertheless, Rhaenys would not have to face the queen on her own. Her faithful companions, the cousins Joanna Lannister and Allyria Dayne, would be there with her. Not to mention Joanna's mother, Lady Ashara, who was the queens sister-in-law, though both had not seen each other in nearly two decades. But Ashara had welcomed the chance to meet with her husband's twin, feeling challenged by the claims that the queen would most likely hate her with a passion.

So their small group had begrudgingly left their quarters to meet up with Lady Margaery in one of the smaller dinning rooms of the large keep. Despite the trust they had in the Tyrells, half a dozen guards were always near the princess, among them Ser Arthur Dayne, who had become he first and foremost guardian, when Ser Jaime had to follow the other duties, which Prince Doran had entrusted him with.

Three of her uncle's daughters where there as well, though each in a different occupation. Obara was amongst the guards, always looking imposing and dangerous to anyone who might wish Rhaenys harm. Tyene had followed her own little plan, disguising herself as the Septa of their group, a role she had perfected in recent years. Only Nymeria played the part of lady, as she had been a part of Lady Ashara's retinue for years, to provide additional security.

"Rhaenys, welcome." Margaery said happily, as she saw her friend enter the room. The Tyrell girl quickly approached the princess, welcoming her with a friendly hug, showing their friendship for all to see. Not that it would have mattered, as the queen and her ladies had not yet arrived. "And all of you as well. I am so very happy that you could join me this morning."

"Your invitation was a welcome surprise, Lady Margaery. We had expected you to be too busy with the preparations for the wedding," Ashara replied cordially.

"You are right, the preparations are an arduous task, but a lady can allow herself a few hours of rest on the day before her wedding." Margaery replied, smiling brightly. "But come, have a seat. Breakfast will be served shortly. We will just have to wait for the rest of the guests." Margaery continued to talk to Rhaenys in hushed whispers, as the rest of the group sat down at the long table in the room.

"You see those ladies, who follow in Lady Margaery's shadow?" Allyria whispered to Joanna, as the cousins watched the other occupants of the room. "The three to her left are her cousins, Megga, Alla and Elinor Tyrell. Rumor has it that Lady Margaery is rarely seen without at least one of them. The more shameless servants even claim that Lady Elinor is much closer to her than just a cousin and lady-in-waiting."

"What sordid chambermaid did you get those rumors from, dear sister?" Ashara asked Allyria pointedly. It wasn't that she was surprised by the rumor itself, she had heard far more shameful things about Margaery's brother and future husband. But Allyria had never been one to listen to foul rumors and gossip. She had always been the optimistic counterpart to Joanna's apparent cynicism.

"Word travels fast and the servant gil, who had drawn me a bath just yesterday was quite talkative and trusting," Allyria said defensively.

Ashara couldn't keep the smile off her face, when she saw Allyria like this. Though her daughters believed that they were in fact sisters, she had still taken the maternal role in Allyria's life. The girl yearned for her approval and reacted quite strongly to rejection and disappointment. However, Ashara could hardly be disappointed in her. Her children are her pride, all of them, those known to the world and those hidden.

"But who is that other girl," Joanna asked, "The dark haired one in the back."

Both Allyria and Ashara looked to see who she meant. There was indeed another young lady in Margaery's group, who kept herself carefully out of immediate sight. There was something about the girl.

"Who would have expected, a predator in the rose garden," Nymeria mutter, from her place next to Ashara. She, too, had spotted the girl and followed her movements with keen eyes. But much to her chagrin, she did not know the girl's name. Neither did Ashara or anyone else of their group. They would have to ask Lady Margaery at a later time, if the girl was not properly introduced by the time the queen arrives. If she even comes, she was already fashionably late.

It was just in that moment, when the door of the room was opened and two heavily armored knights of the Kingsguard entered, followed by several more guardsmen in the armor typically worn by Lannister men. Ashara could see her brother tense, as he stood silently at the wall behind them. Ser Arthur watched critically, as the queen's men took their position on the opposite wall.

"Well this is quickly getting awkward," Joanna murmured.

Her mother couldn't help but agree with her daughter's assessment. What a peculiar sight this must be to the servants. Twelve ladies enjoying their breakfast, guarded by twice as many men in arms. If this was some sort of divine humor, she had certainly missed the punchline.

"And there goes the good mood," Joanna continued, as Queen Cersei entered the room, followed by her daughter.

One could almost pity the poor princess Myrcella, as the girl looked hopelessly lost next to her rather intimidating mother. It wasn't that the princess was shy, she just lacked the domineering presence that her mother had perfected in her years at the court. Or maybe she had perfected it long before, but Ashara knew little more than the trivial things about the queen, despite her marriage to her brother. But his twin sister was always a taboo subject for Jaime Lannister. He merely said that he did not wish to burden their marriage with the presence of Cersei Lannister, though Ashara had clearly no idea how much the queen had been a rival to her in the early years of her marriage.

"Your grace, welcome. I am so happy that you could arrange to join us this morning. Please, sit down and enjoy yourself. We are among friends here," Lady Margaery greeted Cersei with a benign smile on her face, that wouldn't falter even for the slightest moment.

"How could I refuse such a... wonderful chance," Cersei replied, a bit more curtly than she must have planned for. But everyone could see the disgust in her eyes, when she looked upon Ashara and Joanna. Not that this was surprising. Both Tyrion and Jaime had warned Ashara that Cersei will loath her existence and not miss even the slightest chance to inflict harm upon her. But Ashara was not the kind of woman to shy away from such a challenge. If the queen wanted to play this game, she would soon have to realize that there she might have chosen an equal adversary here.

"Queen Cersei, it is such a pleasure to finally meet you. For fourteen years we have been sisters-in-law, yet today is the first time we can meet face to face," Ashara rose from her seat to greet Cersei properly, a pleasant smile on her lips, that must have been most infuriating thing for the woman. Yet the queen managed to keep her cool, "My husband has told me only the best about you, your grace," Which was barely anything at all, "Or would you rather have me call you sister, seeing as we are just that now?"

"I would prefer for you to abstain from calling me that in public. Propriety forbids such endearment in public where the royal family is concerned," Cersei replied icily.

"Of course, your grace. I will limit it to when we are in private then, if it pleases you. But please, let me introduce you to my sister, Lady Allyria Dayne, and my beloved daughter, Joanna Lannister."

"Ah, yes. I have heard about her of course. How could I not, my father was most pleased about the birth of a new set of golden Lannister twins," Cersei said, her voice sounding strained, as she kept her temper in check, "But to think that Jaime would name her after our late mother, I would have expected better from him. The dead should be honored, not replace at the first chance he gets. Especially not when the replacement can't live up to the original."

"He meant no offense, your grace. Quite the contrary in fact. He did it to honor the mother who had meant so much to all of you."

"Yet my argument stands," Cersei insisted. "But how must you feel in this, Lady Ashara, knowing how much our mother means to us, yet I can assure you that she would have been against the way you and my brother have wed without the consent of our father."

"Dire times often lead to the most unforeseeable outcomes, your grace." Ashara replied simply, as she tried to ignore the barb. She knew that her marriage to Jaime had been anything but ideal and quite a lot of the lords outside of Dorne had frowned upon it. Some even claimed attempted line theft by Dornish thieves. Only when her children had been born and Lord Tywin had decreed that they are his true born heirs, the lords of the Westerlands began to look upon her with anything else but spite and distrust. Some still whispered thief behind closed doors, afraid to anger Lord Tywin with their public disapproval.

"Such dark topics, we should rather enjoy ourselves and our time together, don't you agree?" Margaery finally interjected, when she had to fear that the quarrel of the queen and Lady Ashara might get out of hand. "We have a man from Volantis here, who makes the most wonderful pastries. Please try them."

For some time the conversations at the table never strayed from superficial subjects, as Margaery quickly put an end to all those topics, which would have lead to a dispute of the ladies at her table. It must have been an arduous task and Ashara, as well as Rhaenys felt quite bad for making the poor girl so uncomfortable. Nevertheless, a woman like Cersei Lannister could hardly be ignored, especially when even the most pleasant words had hidden threats and veiled insults in their hearts.

"So tell me, Lady Margaery, are you excited about your wedding to an illustrious man such as Renly Baratheon?" Queen Cersei asked after a while, her green eyes still shining with cunning that promised death and disease to all those she considered as her enemies. This obviously included every other woman in the room, except for Princess Myrcella.

"It is quite overwhelming, yes. Leaving all I have known behind, to marry a man I have barely known for more than a few months now is sometimes... frightening. But surely you can relate. It must have been similar for you, when you wed King Robert."

"I hardly had a reason to be frightened. I had been raised to become a queen. When one marries the right man, there should be no fear, only determination." Cersei replied.

"Then you must have been scared witless." Rhaenys drawled, sounding almost bored by the exchange. Maybe she really was bored, she had never been one to put up with so much trivial nonsense. "For you married a man you hardly knew and not the prince that you so desperately wanted."

A mocking smile spread on the queens lips, giving her an almost pitying appearance as she looked at the daughter of the man she had once desired, "You are right. Had the gods been just, it would have been me to wed your father. But sadly for his whole family, the king was already so deeply immersed in his insanity, that he decided to marry his son to a weak Dornish harlot, who barely survived given him two children. All that, just to slight my father. I would have given Rhaegar as many strong sons and beautiful daughters as he had desired. Who knows, you might have been one of them. But no, the gods are not just and you were born with the one flaw that you can never overcome. Your mother's weak, dornish blood." Cersei said calmly, deliberately enjoying every moment of it. Every second, every reaction she could see on Rhaenys' face, it all pleased her immensely. It did not matter that their hostess looked aghast or that Nymeria looked at her with murderous intent.

"It surprises me even more that a woman so vile such as you is related to an honorable man like my father," Joanna spat, as she looked at her aunt with utter loathing.

"You, too, should know that you share the flaw of your princess. The lords of the West will never follow you or your brother. My sons will inherit the West, because they are more Lannister than you could ever hope to be. And when time comes for my brother to choose, he will choose me, not you, not your mother, not any of your other siblings. Because he and I are two parts of the same soul and we belong together. He knows that and soon you will, too."

With these parting words the queen stood up and quickly left the room, followed by her daughter. The poor girl looked shocked, as her mother's guards ushered her out of the room. A tense silence hung in the room and for some long moments no one dared to speak, as they contemplated the queen's last words.

It was Joanna, who voice her thoughts first, "What a loathsome creature, father would never choose her."

Ashara merely nodded mutely to her daughter's words. She hoped that Joanna was right. But she couldn't be sure. Cersei Lannister was the one topic that she could never be clear about when it comes to her husband. She had long suspected that Cersei Lannister had a strong hold on Jaime, one even stronger than that of his father. But years apart might have weakened this hold. And if not, she would not loose her husband without a fight. Not to this vile woman, not to any other woman in the Seven Kingdoms and beyond.

Rhaenys watched the other occupants in the room with slight suspicion. This outcome had to be expected, no one should have been surprised by his. The situation was tense and anyone who knew more about the Lannisters, could have easily predicted such a confrontation. But the question was why. Why facilitate such a meeting? Who would possibly benefit from this? She would have to speak to Margaery about this. In private. She wasn't sure whether she could trust her ladies as implicitly as she trusted her friend.

* * *

"Keep up, Jason. You as well, Edric," Jaime admonished his son and his squire, as they walked through the narrow alleys of Highgarden's lower district, where the poorest were housed, just outside of the protective walls of the impressive keep. None of them had any idea why they were here, but Oberyn had asked them to come with him and they had complied. But not without grumbling about this little early morning adventure.

"Ser Jaime, what are we doing here?" Edric asked him.

But Jaime had no idea himself. What was he supposed to answer his squire? He doubted that any answer he could give would be enough for the boy. Edric Dayne, his wife's nephew, was far too curious to settle for a simple answer such as 'no idea'. It was also this curiosity that often got the boy into trouble, much to Jaime's constant aggravation. He had taken Edric as his squire, as a favor for Ashara, but sometimes he regrets how easily she could sometimes sway him.

"Ser Jaime?"

"Not yet, Edric," Jaime replied, before he caught up to Oberyn. "The boys are right, Oberyn, what are we doing here? I can imagine better ways to do my duty than to sift through the filth in this slum."

"We, my friend, are about to gather some much needed information for Rhaenys' protection," Oberyn replied jovially.

"Here?" Jaime sounded not even half as skeptical as he felt.

"What do you know about Highgarden, Jaime?"

"Big castle, seat of House Tyrell since the time of Aegon's conquest, before that the seat of the ancient Reach kings." Jaime said, still not really getting what Oberyn was talking about.

"And?" He sighed, when he saw the confusion on the knight's face, "Jason, tell your father what I mean."

"Is this similar to that one time in Volantis?" Jason asked in return.

"Exactly. But with less crazy, pyromanic priests. What is so special about this place?"

"Highgarden is supposedly the heart of chivalry in the Seven Kingdoms... Oh... you are leading us to a brothel!" Jason didn't look the least bit surprised. Jaime could only wonder what exactly had happened in Volantis, for his son to come to the conclusion that Oberyn was on his way to a brothel of all the places. However, he was sure that it would be better to keep this tidbit of knowledge a secret from Ashara, she would surely not be very amused.

"So that means that you want information from the whores, who service those knights who go to the brothel in the darkest hour of the night."

"Why would a knight visit a brothel in the slums?" Edric asked curiously.

"Because of his reputation. There are better, more high class establishments inside the direct sphere of the Tyrells' influence, but nothing that happens there will remain secret for long," Jason explained, "It was the same for some of the Red Priests in Volantis. Those who prided themselves with their high morals were still just men with urges. Urges that they wished to satisfy... in secret. Brothels in the slums are usually not under constant observation and should a whore there try to talk about what she has done, she can easily disappear without anyone asking questions."

"That is... gruesome," Edric shuddered lightly, "We are talking about knights here, surely they wouldn't murder these women just to keep their secrets."

"Knight is nothing more than a title of no worth, that is given out to those who truly deserve it and those who have the fortune to be born with the right family name. Morals, insignificant. Chivalry, nothing more than a tale for little boys to encourage them to behave for their mothers." Oberyn said derisively. Not that Jaime would have disagreed with him. He, too, had once believed that being a knight would mean to be a better person. He had learned the hard way that he was wrong. Sometimes being the Smiling Knight and the Sword of the Morning were only a matter of circumstance and personal preferences.

"So we go there to find out whether we can get blackmail against some of the knights here?" Edric continued with his questions, obviously to forget about the inconvenient truth he had just been told.

"One thing you still have to learn, little Edric, is that men tend to talk about things that should better be left unsaid. Especially when a warm cunt is waiting for them. So many secrets have already been spilled in the brothels of Westeros, had there only been someone to listen to the whores, most of our history would have taken a different turn." Oberyn lectured. "And now we will see what these whores can tell us."

"And they will talk?"

"A piece of coin has always been enough to loosen a tongue... for various purposes..."

"Oberyn, they are still boys," Jaime admonished him.

"Relax, Jaime. Jason is a man now, don't underestimate your son. And Edric better learns how the world really works." Oberyn waved him off, before he continued on his path through the slums.

His companions could only follow him. Jason was already used to Oberyn's way of getting things done and Edric was just curious what they might find out. Jaime, however, watched all of this with great apprehension. He knew that there were some very big secrets they should be know about, but somehow he doubted that Oberyn's methods would yield the wanted results... or maybe he was just a worried, that his presence here, had lead him too far away from Rhaenys, Ashara and Joanna. He knew that they had some kind of tense meeting with Lady Margaery this morning, though he had forgone to ask about who else would be there. He would have to trust that Ser Arthur alone would be enough to guard them all... and maybe Oberyn's idea was actually more than just another fool's errand.

But as they marched through the filthy alleys, none of them realized that they were being followed. A tall, dark haired man watched their every move with great interest. He smirked, before he swiftly followed the knights and their squires. For what purpose, however, no one could know...

* * *

**A/N: Well so much for first meetings. It is kinda hard to write Cersei, without turning her into a bile spitting monster or a weak fool... I do hope she is somewhat believable. And the boys... well they are off on their own adventure.**

**I have been asked about Tyrion and when he will show up again. I have to say that his storyline, as it was in A Lion's Duty, will not appear in this story. The adventure of the dwarf, the seductress and the prince of madness deserves a story of its own...**


	10. Revelry

**Alright, I know it has been a bit long since the last chapter and I am quite sorry about this. But I have to admit that I had not been very productive with this story, something that hit an all time low when I watched the new season and they killed one of my favorite characters...**

**Well, at long last I can present you all a new chapter. I had great plans for this one, but in the end I realized that all the things I wanted to show in this chapter would have been too much, so some things will happen later, in other chapters.**

* * *

Most people would claim that a wedding is a happy occasion, a reason to rejoice and forget about the usual hardships and trivial rivalries in the Seven Kingdoms. But for noble houses weddings are rarely celebrated to unite two lovers in holy matrimony. The more powerful the houses, the more scheming and backstabbing was involved. Daughters are given to other houses to gain influence and power. Daughters are taken to continue dynasties, too old to remember that by now all their great and noble houses are related one way or another. But what need is there for caution or care, when an alliance can be sealed with holy vows and the blood of the next generation.

As Margaery Martell stood before the Septon, next to Lord Renly Baratheon, no one would be foolish enough to claim that love was involved in this match. Rhaenys knew very well that Margaery was not the Tyrell who would share Renly's bed this night. It wasn't unheard of, so no one objected when Ser Loras offered to play the role of a witness, to guarantee that the marriage was consummated and incontestable. No, Margaery would not be the one to stay awake for long after the feast and the bedding ceremony.

But even the Targaryen princess had to admit that the whole wedding had been wonderful and the celebration was very joyful. The Tyrells had spared no expenses.

"If they keep this up, all those chivalrous knights will be too drunk tomorrow to begin the tourney," Joanna said, as she watched the revelry from her seat next to Rhaenys.

"Well it is not like they would have stood a chance against your father if they were sober," Rhaenys replied dryly. She had talked Ser Jaime into joining the lists for the jousting. He had been apprehensive to leave her side and that of his wife for long, so he had not planned to joust. Yet they knew how much he actually enjoyed it. Well he and Prince Oberyn. Both would be taking part in the tourney's main event.

"Uncle Arthur would be able to beat him, but he made it clear that he won't participate," Joanna replied somberly. With both her father and uncle being famous knights and highly talented jousters, she would have loved to see both of them trounce their competition, but alas, her father alone would have to defend his family's honor.

"How much Arbor Gold can a man drink?" Rhaenys wondered idly, as she saw King Robert downing yet another goblet filled with wine.

She had to admit that the man seemed much less hostile and inept during a feast. The men around him enjoyed his company greatly and it was obvious that the eldest living Baratheon had no trouble finding friends in the unlikeliest of places. Under different circumstances even she would have felt compelled to enjoy his company and listen to his drunken tales of youthful adventures he has had with the Lord of Winterfell, during their time at the Eyrie. But this man had killed her father, he was the reason why her brother had been killed... why she had nearly been killed. It was hard to forget such a thing and she was too stubborn to allow herself to let the past go. Not to mention that he had a reputation of hating her entire family for the actions of two of its long dead members.

"I think we should enjoy ourselves, there is no sense in just sitting around, doing nothing. Even Allyria is dancing right now and she is usually a prude," Joanna exclaimed, before she stood up and left the table.

Rhaenys was more hesitant. There were many men here who would protect her, serve her even. But at this feast, there were just as many who would use the first chance they got to harm her. It was the curse her father had left her. His name. Because of his name alone she would always have to look twice before trusting. But much to her chagrin, she was alone at the table now. Ser Jaime was dancing with Lady Ashara, Joanna and Allyria had left to find themselves some entertainment and her cousins, the Sand Snakes and Quentyn Martell, were nowhere to be seen.

"Why the glum look, your grace," As Rhaenys looked up, she saw Ser Loras standing in front of her table. "Has something happened? It is my sister's greatest wish to see all her guests happy on this wonderful day."

"Ser Loras, I don't wish to spoil my dear friend's celebration. It just seems that I seem to have... misplaced my companions this evening." She grimaced slightly, before she allowed herself a smile.

The young knight laughed slightly, the smile enhancing his handsome features even more. There was no use denying it, had Rhaenys not known about Ser Loras... preferences beforehand, she would have likely entertained the idea of having a man like him as a paramour. Her cousin Arianne had more than one in recent years and though Rhaenys had been raised as a Dornish princess, she had not shared her cousins promiscuity to the same extent. Maybe she should have, before she would be tied down in a marriage to a man who would not share the Dornish sentiments. Just not Ser Loras, despite the attraction. Not that she lacked any male companions of notable skill and looks.

"Well in this case, would allow me the honor of a dance, my princess?" Gallant as ever, Ser Loras bowed lightly, as he offered her his hand.

Yet Rhaenys hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should leave the constant protection of Ser Arthur, who stood not far from her, to join a big, undecipherable mass of people who enjoyed themselves while dancing. She trusts the Tyrells, yet she was well aware that she would have to be ever watchful. Yet in the end the risk would also be a welcome escape from the boredom.

"Very well. I would be delighted," she answered, as she rose from her seat and allowed Ser Loras to lead her away. She was sure that she had seen a slight scowl on Ser Arthur's face as she left. Whether he disapproved of her choice to leave or her chosen company, that was the question she would likely never get an answer to.

* * *

Away from the commotion of the feast and the boisterous revelry, Jon Snow wandered through near abandoned halls of Highgarden. All the guests of name and rank were at the feast, the army of servants was busy ensuring that their masters would never lack anything they desired. He, as the servant of the princess, was not invited. Not that it mattered all that much to him. He was actually happy to be away from the commotion for once.

Following the last Targaryen in Westeros was much more excitement than he would have ever asked for before. The young princess was bound to get into trouble wherever she went and he had the nagging feeling that this would only get worse in the near future. Her name alone spelled trouble...

Nevertheless, for this one night he would enjoy this peace and the silence he had. So he wandered aimlessly, a chance to explore Highgarden some more without interruptions. It was so different compared to Sunspear and the Old Palace. It was... intriguing.

After some time he had reached the lower levels of the keep. Only belatedly he realized, that he had reached the kennels. It was then, that barking of dogs piked his curiosity, so he entered the large place, where the Tyrells kept their dogs for the hunt.

A dozen or more cages were lined up on either sides of him, filled with truly majestic animals. He remembered faintly that the princess had spoken about these dogs. The heir of Highgarden, Willas Tyrell, was one of those who bred these hounds for the hunt. He had once gifted one to the princess, but sadly she was not... very fond of canine animals. The hound had ended in the care of her uncle and the Tyrell heir presented her with a horse instead.

Jon himself could not share the princess dislike of the hounds, he always found them quite fascinating. He would often visit the few animals they had in the kennels at Sunspear, to feed them or just watch them in silence. They were such loyal companions, once you have earned their loyalty that is.

So he walked past the cages and watched the many animals with great appreciation. Strong and majestic, a testament of Lord Willas skill when it comes to breeding. But there was one cage that was different to the others. Not the cage itself, but what was inside.

No dogs were inside, but two half-grown wolves. One was completely white, with eyes red as blood, the other with gray fur and golden eyes that stared at Jon as he passed the cage. Both wolves watched him, actually. Then he noticed that there was someone inside the cage. A young girl, dressed up like all the other noble born daughters at the feast, though her clothes were now obviously ruined from the dirt inside the cage.

"What is it, Nymeria?" The girl asked the gray wolf.

Jon looked at her in confusion. Had this girl just called the wolf Nymeria? A curious choice, amusing even, at least to those who had come from Dorne. Jon knew at least one Nymeria, who would not be enthused about the idea that a wild animal shares her name. Or maybe she would appreciate the sentiment, if the animal happens to be fierce and graceful, with a deadly reputation. It was hard to tell, Nymeria Sand was a mystery to him.

"Who are you?" The girl had finally noticed him. It was only now that he could get a clear look at her face. Gray eyes looked at him with great interest, though her face only showed distrust at the moment. "Are you one of my father's men? No, I haven't seen you before."

"I am Jon Snow," he replied, as he watched her rise from the ground next to the wolves.

"So you are from the North as well! Which House do you serve? The Karstarks? The Mormonts? Or the Manderlys? Please don't tell me you are one of the Bolton men!"

"I do not hail from the North. I serve Princess Rhaenys Targaryen." Jon replied.

He expected the girl to shy away from him. He was serving a Targaryen and by her words it was easy to guess that she was not just the daughter of any northern lord, but the daughter of Lord Eddard Stark himself. But curiously enough, there was no apprehension, no fear or disgust. She seemed oddly... curious.

"You serve the dragon princess? What is she like? Is she as mad as her grandfather? Is she all angry and spitting fire as they say?"

"She..." Spitting fire? Just what did those people in the North gossip about? "She does not spit fire, I can assure you. Neither is she wroth or mad. She is..." How was he supposed to describe Rhaenys Targaryen? It was certainly not easy to find a fitting word for her... "a martial princess."

"She has been allowed to learn how to fight?" Why was this girl so damn curious about Rhaenys? Shouldn't all Starks fear or at the very least hate the few remaining Targaryens? After all Aerys and Rhaegar had done to them...

"The princess is free to learn whatever she wants, who in the Seven Kingdoms would have the right to deny her?" Jon retorted. "And you have yet to tell me your name."

"Arya," She replied curtly. "Can the princess wield a sword," he nodded, "and can she ride a horse? Can she shoot with a bow?"

"You are awfully inquisitive."

"How else am I supposed to learn anything? All that Septa would teach me is that boring lady pursuits. I don't like sewing! I would rather learn the same as my brothers." Was there a tinge of envy of the princess? Apparently the people in the North were not so eager to allow their women to wield a weapon. Again he wondered if Rhaenys and her cousins were an exception or the norm in Dorne. For all he knew, their fathers might be the reasons for the great leeway they are granted every day.

"I..." He stopped, when heard someone else enter the kennels. From where he stood, the newcomers could not see him immediately. But he saw them and he was sure that it would be better to remain unseen. So he quickly entered the kennel where Arya sat, hopeful that the wolves would not attack him as long she keeps them pacified.

"What are you doing?" Arya asked, but she fell silent when he motioned for her to be quiet.

"Have you done what I've asked of you?" One of the men asked.

"Yes, my lord. All has been prepared. You will find..."

"Silence, you damn fool. One can never know who might listen."

Jon was sure that the man was looking around for any possible spies, so he kept his head down. Something was odd about these men. He didn't know what, just the way they looked made them... suspicious.

"I did all you ask, my lord. About my..."

"Yes, yes," the other drawled in annoyance. "Your just payment."

"What are you doing!" Jon could only hear the exclamation, before a strangled gasp was drowned out by the barking and growling of the hounds.

"My, my. You sure make a mess here, uncle." Another person had appeared, a woman. But Jon did not recognize her voice... he was curious, but he did not dare to look. He was unarmed and would likely loose a fight, should it come to that. "Was this really necessary?"

"You know me, I don't take chances. I am not my dumb oaf like my brother or ill prepared like your father had been."

"And what about the body? People will find it and then a thousand knights will be on high alert," the woman shot back agitatedly.

"I know where to get rid of this, don't you worry. And you should get back, before the lady misses her favorite pet." The man said mockingly.

Jon could hear her huff, but there no more words spoken. They were leaving. He could hear their footsteps. Nevertheless, he waited for some more time. Tense moments, before he finally dared to take a look. Everything looked just as it had before... except for one wet spot on the dirt...

"I have to warn Obara about this! Something is happening behind our backs and I doubt that it will be good." Jon muttered.

"What was that?" Arya asked him.

"Chaos," Jon muttered, before he left the kennels as quickly as his feet would carry him. He had to report this. The princess might be in even greater danger than they had anticipated at first.

* * *

Unaware of the events in the kennels, the feast continued, just as boisterous and merry. Though hours had passed and the night had come, there was still no sign of an end to the festivities. The bedding of the newlywed couple had yet to come and none of the guests seemed to tire of the revelry.

Yet Jaime Lannister was an exception, as he and his wife stood at the side of the commotion, to take a break from the ceaseless carousal.

"The bedding will be soon, then this madness will finally end," Ashara commented with a sigh, as she watched the other guests. Most guests already had at least one cup too many, if not more. It was almost amusing to watch, though there was always a certain risk. Not all the now happily drunk people got along and they could only hope that nothing would happen, that would give these men a reason to fight.

"It was fun while it lasted," Jaime added wistfully. "I just fear that there won't be much competition for the first round of jousting tomorrow. They can barely stand now, it would be a miracle, should they be able to ride a horse." He chuckled. The idea to see some of these high lords and dignified knights landing face first in the dirt... it held a certain appeal.

"At least I can rest assured that my son is not one of those merry fools. Such undignified behavior is unbecoming of a Lannister, least of all the heir of Casterly Rock," a firm voice commented, making Jaime almost cringe, as he recognized its owner.

"Father," He said respectfully, as he watched his father's reaction. The man had barely changed as it seemed, except for a few more white hairs and some wrinkles. But otherwise Tywin Lannister was still as magnificent and imposing as Jaime remembered him.

Ashara, who still stood next to her husband, watched the powerful lord with much more apprehension than Jaime. The last time she had seen this man was almost two decades ago and back then, she was merely the lady in waiting of Princess Elia. It was common knowledge that he had not approved of his son's choices, especially his choice to marry her. So Ashara was not happy at all to meet the man. But she would not let him intimidate her.

"Lord Tywin," Ashara curtsied before him, as would be expected of any noble lady. But she did not lower her gaze in submission, but returned his lingering stare just as strongly.

"It is good to see you again, father," Jaime said, though all of them knew that he was lying. He was just apprehensive of this meeting as his wife, if not even more. He knew his father and he knew the consequences of defiance. But he was no longer the young boy who had once left Casterly Rock to become a knight. He was a grown man, a knight, a defender of the true royal family. But he was also a father himself know and understood why his father made some of his decisions.

"Sixteen years, Jaime. Sixteen years you have eluded me, ignored me, except for those rare letters of yours."

"I had my reasons," Jaime replied.

"And I had mine. Don't think that I've made any of those decision out of spite or other such petty reasons. But you... you are a Lannister. My son and heir. You are the future of Casterly Rock and the Westerlands, but you weaken our house with your constant absence."

"I..."

"No more, Jaime. Not here. These fools may be drunk, but even the drunk might remember things that were not meant for their ears." Tywin admonished him.

Ashara watched the exchange with a deep frown. She did not like it all, to see this domineering lord command her husband as if he was a disobedient child. But she agreed with him on one thing, their family matters should not be discussed in such a public setting.

But she couldn't resist the urge to spite the man, "Then what would you suggest, Lord Tywin? What would you have done in Jaime's place? Would you have watched everything burn? Would you have allowed for everything and everyone you ever served to perish... ah I forgot. You did. More than that, you helped to tear everything down."

Tywin's gaze was once more on her now, as he judged her silently. It was a battle of wills as they stared at each other, but it was one that she could not win.

"There are a great many rumors concerning you, girl. People whisper how you have seduced my son. That you have bewitched him somehow, to turn him against his family." Tywin said sternly, "I don't believe in such humbug. I squashed these rumors and punished those who spread them. You may be pretty, but even you don't have that kind of hold over my son."

"Father you may disapprove of the woman I have chosen as my wife, but..."

"Yes, I disapproved. I had other plans for you, Jaime. But you have a habit of ruining my plans for you. House Dayne, as revered and old it may be, is not the kind of alliance I would have wanted for your future. For men of your station marriage is not a matter of love, but a political tool to ensure the future of your house. At least you succeeded with the latter. Four children to carry on your legacy, two sons to carry on your name. You did good, I have to admit that much." Tywin told his son. "Yet where are your children, I wish to see the future of House Lannister."

Jaime had no idea where they were. They had left their table some time ago. So he looked around, his eyes searched for the distinct golden Lannister hair that his children had inherited from him. But after some searching, he only found his daughter. And not in the company he would have like to see her in.

Tywin had followed his gaze and seen Joanna as well, "It does seem that your daughter has gotten acquainted with her cousins. Good, I won't tolerate my grandchildren quarreling like fools."

Joanna was still dancing, nearly at the center of the commotion, just as she like it. But she wasn't just dancing with any lord's son, but with Prince Joffrey, her cousin. Though both she and the prince looked almost amiable next to each other, he could see how tense his daughter was. She was not happy, but he could only hope that she wouldn't lash out.

"Tomorrow evening you and your family will dine with me. Don't think that I will leave the future of my House in your hands alone, Jaime. So far you have only succeed in creating an even greater mess, I won't sit back and watch you burn everything I have created for us."

"I won't allow..."

"This was not a request, Jaime," Tywin said more forcefully, as he stared at his son. Both men seemed unwilling to yield at first, but eventually Jaime relented. He remembered well that childish defiance to his father would not get him anywhere.

"Very well, father. One dinner. I won't have the time to indulge you more than that," Jaime agreed begrudgingly.

"Your princess can survive without your constant presence. If not, she was never worthy of your service at all," Tywin replied sternly, before he turned and left Jaime and Ashara alone once more.

"He is... not quite what the people say about him," Ashara commented, once her father-in-law was out of earshot.

"No he isn't." Jaime agreed, "He is worse."

* * *

Not far from Jaime, his son was dancing with his princess, something they both enjoyed greatly. For Rhaenys this was a salvation from awkward presence of Ser Loras, who albeit charming and pleasant to look at, never managed to get past non-commital and placid chatter, which aggravated the princess greatly. It was almost as if he had been instructed to avoid almost every subject that would require him to choose a side. She had been so relieved when Jason appeared and took Ser Loras place at her side.

"Why does it seem that you are not enjoying this evening as much as you should, Rhaenys?"

"Oh, should I?"

"Don't play coy with me, my princess, I have long since learned to read you and your moods. Something is bothering you. Has anything happened? Has the Usurper or any of his men bother you?"

"No. They have been surprisingly... reticent. Their looks are cold and their thoughts most likely less than pleasant when they see me, but they mostly stay out of my way." She was quite content if things stayed this way she was here to celebrate the wedding of a friend, not to start another war... there would be time for that later.

"Only few here would dare to harm you. There is nothing for them to gain from such an act. Only the Starks and Baratheons have personal reasons to continue a feud against your family. But I doubt that the current Lord Stark would wish you harm because of your father and grandfather. From all I've heard the man is too honorable to even consider harming you without due cause."

"I hope you are right," Rhaenys replied. "But the Usurper is a different case..."

"A drunk fool," Jason spat, as he sent one withering glare in the direction of the king, not that the man would have noticed.

"A broken man. Just look at him. We have grown up with the stories of the fearsome warlord who has bested my father and conquered the Seven Kingdoms. All that is left now is a drunken whoremonger. I pity him."

"Your uncle does not share this assessment... but the one you have to keep an eye on is my grandfather. Of all the rebels he is the most capable and the most dangerous. His is ruthless and will do anything to empower his family. Even now he is planning something. Something that will not necessarily benefit anyone tied to the Iron Throne."

"And how do you know that? As far as I can recall you have never met the man." Rhaenys asked to sate her curiosity.

"I had the pleasure to dance with one of my father's cousins. The Lady Cerenna was quite... eager to be of help for the future lord of Casterly Rock."

"Who?"

"Me, my forgetful princess," He quipped. "But maybe we should change the topic. I have come to make sure that you enjoy this evening, not to indulge your somber thoughts about who might or might not kill you," he bowed before her, a gesture that was an overdone mockery of the respectful gesture it was supposed to be, "So, your grace, how may I serve you?"

"Leave this feast with me. Now!" Rhaenys replied quickly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Are you sure? They have not even begun with the bedding of the bride and her groom."

"So that is why you here? To help with Margaery's bedding..." She sounded scandalized, but her smirk was giving away her true thoughts.

"She is truly a beautiful young woman. The priced flower of Highgarden..." He teased. By now her smirk was gone and her eyes shone with repressed anger. "But which man has need for flowers when there is a dragon in his grasp?"

"Then let us leave. Quickly, before your uncle or father realize we are gone." Rhaenys urged him.

Jason complied all too readily and guided her away from the gathered people and out of the great hall. Seemingly undetected the slipped out into the gardens, where hopefully only the moon and the stars would be able to track their steps. It was irresponsible. It was dangerous. But away from prying eyes, away from names and titles they felt alive... for one night at least.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, I hope you all liked this chapter.**

**Initially I had planned for a more direct confrontation of Rhaenys and Robert, but with my current block I was unable to produce a satisfactory result. They will still clash soon, if I can provide a good enough background for it.**

**Some people I have talked to have questioned why Aerys Targaryen really went bat shit crazy in later years. Most people are content with just two simple explanations. Incest-kid, absolutely doomed to a life as a lunatic and of course the Defiance of Duskendale. Both played a role, no doubt, but Aerys madness had more to it than just that. **

**He was quite capable and well liked in his youth, a good friend of Tywin and Steffon Baratheon, a friendship forged in the battles of the war against the last known Blackfyre.****But Aerys life did change for the worse when the single most defining event for House Targaryen came along. The tragedy of Summerhall. All of a sudden Aerys father became king and he was the next in line. More troublesome than that, once his father was dead he was the last remaining male Targaryen who was able to produce legitimate heirs. To be the last hope for the survival of such an ancient and prestigeous bloodline is an extreme pressure. Then there was his loveless marriage to his sister, a forced marriage arranged by their father for rather dubious reasons. All his choices had been made for him, without his consent. So he was an unhappy young man, who had to take the crown and ensure the survival of what he believed to be the greatest of all families in the world. The pressure got only worse when Rhaella failed to give him more living children after Rhaegar's birth... his desperation to preserve his family's Valyrian bloodline also showed in his attempts to find a wife for Rhaegar... which also lead to the death of his other friend, Steffon.**

**Then there was Tywin. Aerys' friend and Hand. Tywin was one of the most capable men in the world at his time and he quickly outshone his king. People knew the realm prospered because of Tywin, not Aerys. So envy spread in the king's mind. Envy that was only strengthened when Tywin married the woman Aerys desired. Apparently Tywin's and Joanna's marriage was later blessed by true love, something that Aerys never found in his own marriage.**

**So we have a man who is under extreme pressure to keep his family's legacy alive, a man who can only watch in envy as his friend gets everything he ever wanted, both the woman and the recognition. Add to that his family's known mental illnesses due to the inbreeding and the defiance of his subjects and you have a truly frightening picture. It is easy to hate Aerys as a madman, but on a closer look he is also a victim of his own life and the decisions others have made for him. what he did was tragic, but his life was the real tragedy. At least this is my opinion on him. I know that many people will see it differently, but everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion.**


	11. Kin

**Alright, it has been a damn long time since my last update to this story. Sorry about that. I don't know why, but I had quite a lot of difficulties to relate to the storyline I had planned at first, especially for this chapter. This is actually the ninth revision of this chapter and I just wanted have it out and be done with it.**

**Well so much for now. I just hope you all will enjoy this chapter somewhat...**

* * *

She had no idea how early or late it really was, but when she woke up in the morning, the sun was already up. As if the light of the sun wanted to annoy her, only a single irritable ray of sunlight reached her bed... reached her face. Yet she wouldn't have been bothered at all by this. She would have slept on, had it not been for one other, much more irritating annoyance. The presence of her cousin Obara, who had invited herself to her room and literally kicked her out of her bed.

"Would you stop that? I am trying to sleep, if you hadn't noticed," Rhaenys growled. But to her growing ire, Obara merely laughed at her.

"But of course, your grace." Obara said mockingly.

For a moment Rhaenys dared to hope that she would be allowed some more time in her comfortable bed, but it was a futile hope. Her cousin was unrelenting, especially when it comes to their training sessions in the early hours of the day. So even now Obara showed no mercy, instead she picked Rhaenys up and carried her over to a bathtub, where she dropped the squirming princess.

The princess had no idea when the servants had come to draw her a bath, but the moment she hit the water, she knew that she must have overslept quite a bit. The water was already cold.

"Just what have I done for you to treat me like this, Obara?" Rhaenys complained, as she swiped her hair out of her face, where the wet strands of her hair had clung.

"Scrub yourself. But be quick, you have to be presentable if you wish to join our hosts for the breakfast you've been invited to." Obara replied. "And take care to get all of the dirt. Your time in the gardens last night left stains everywhere."

Rhaenys looked defiant at Obara, despite the nagging feeling of shame that built up inside of her. How much did Obara know. Had anyone else noticed? She and Jason had be careful to escape unseen... but of course her cousins would know. They knew everything she did.

"Don't look so scandalized. Had it not been for Nymeria and me, some of the other guests might have stumbled over you and your favorite lion. Thank the gods that you are not a screamer like Arianne. It would have been impossible to keep her nighttime activities a secret."

"So you saw?"

"Me? Not at all. I guarded one of the entrances of the secluded garden you had chosen. But Nymeria... well she always likes to watch. Not that our dearest cousin minded. Now that Arianne has chosen to defy Prince Doran and travel the Free Cities with the dwarf, Nymeria has too find her entertainment elsewhere."

"I..."

"Less talking and more scrubbing. We are running out of time." Obara said more insistently. "At least Jason knows how inappropriate it would have been to sleep in your bed tonight."

"I'm done. So what now?"

"The dress. Nymeria has prepared the dress your mother has ordered you to wear, while you slept."

"Not that one. I hate it. I can barely move freely in that grotesque abomination of myrish lace. I will wear one of the riding dresses. They will..."

"No you won't. You will attend breakfast with Lord Tyrell and his family. Willas Tyrell will be there as well, so do your best to get him to like you. So you better don't mention your ill fated love for the Lannister boy."

"I am not in love with him. We are close as siblings..."

"Fine siblings you are... well I tend to forget that you are not a Martell, no matter how we have raised you." Obara answered with a sigh. "But you better focus your attentions on Willas now. You know that we need the support of House Tyrell to keep you safe. Things may be peaceful right now, but I don't trust this peace. Something bad happens every time the realm is at peace for too long."

"You just want a reason to fight someone," Rhaenys accused her cousin, as Obara helped her put on the dress that had been chosen for her. "So who will accompany me to this... wonderful breakfast?"

"I will guard you. Nymeria and Quentyn will sit beside you at the table."

"My mother? And Lady Ashara? Or Joanna?"

"The Tyrells have invited Rhaenys Targaryen to join them, no the family of Lord Tywin Lannister," Obara told her, with barely hidden contempt when she said the name of the current Lord of Casterly Rock. "Only your immediate family may join you. But since your mother is still feeling unwell and my father is preparing for the tourney, your cousins will have to suffice."

"Don't be like that. Ser Jaime and his family are my most trusted friends. They would never betray me, so don't be so spiteful."

"I am not spiteful. I can understand and somewhat share your sentiments, truly, but to everyone here at this tourney they will always be the family of Tywin Lannister. He is their lord, Ser Jaime is his heir and your little amorous adventure is the future lord of the Westerlands. You shouldn't forget this either. It would be dumb to deny that a man as dangerous and ruthless as Tywin Lannister has any influence over his own family."

Rhaenys remained silent, as she forced herself into the abominable dress her mother had chosen. Should they truly force her to wear this thing the entire day, it would be a very uncomfortable experience for sure. Especially when Obara pulled the dress tight as she tied it behind her back.

"Careful, I still need to breathe from time to time." Oh how she already abhorred the next few hours. This dress had been made to show her off like a doll, emphasizing her assets for men to leer at. Why any of the women at court would subject themselves to this was beyond her… like cattle at the market, put on display to find the highest bidder...

"Of course, your grace," Obara replied mockingly. When Rhaenys turned around and gave her a withering glare, the oldest of Oberyn's bastards laughed outright at her cousin's plight. "Off you go now. Don't make a fool out of yourself."

"Just go and die in ditch, you evil wench." Rhaenys muttered, as she pushed past Obara and left her room.

Outside of her chamber stood Quentyn and Nymeria, both dressed immaculately, to impress their hosts during their informal gathering. Quentyn offered her his arm and quietly walked with her.

They rarely talked, Quentyn and her. He had been away for many years, growing up at Yronwood, after Oberyn's ill fated duel with the late Lord Yronwood. And even the few times he had returned to Sunspear for special celebrations they barely exchange more than empty pleasantries.

Maybe it was really the lack of time they had spent together. Or he was wary of her, because of her very close relationship with Arianne, who had loved to torment Quentyn as a small child. Maybe she should have tried harder to connect with him, yet she never really saw the need to do it. She had plenty of family and friends around her, one estranged cousin wasn't all that important... well that had changed when she had learned about Prince Doran's plans for Arianne, but now it was too late and all that existed between her and Quentyn was a polite coldness. He knew his place and had accepted his role in this play. He wouldn't jeopardize his own future for petty grievances, so she could trust him to a certain extent.

Obara was just about to follow them, as Jon Snow appeared around the corner. The young bastard had a wary look on his face, his eyes darting around as if he expected an attack any time soon. Something was amiss and Obara silently cursed all Seven Gods, as she was sure that Rhaenys would be once more right at the center of the trouble. She couldn't know how right she was, as she listened to the events of the prior evening.

* * *

"My, my. Don't you look fetching in that new armor. You will be hounded by all the maidens and their families, once they have seen you in action," Joanna said approvingly, as she saw her brother armed and dressed in his armor for the melee.

The were in one of the many tents, which had been erected next to the large tourney grounds. Hundreds had come to try their luck, but only the most renown and those of great houses had been admitted. Jason Lannister had his family name to thank for his place in the melee, he knew that, but it did not bother him in the slightest.

He smirked, as he fiddled with the gauntlets of his armor, to adjust them properly to his hands. Rarely before had he been given a reason to dress for battle like this. Training did not require him to wear an armor such as this. Sure, Prince Oberyn and his father had drilled him in light and heavy armor before, so he would be used to wearing it in battle, but those dull pieces of metal and leather were nothing in comparison to the intricate armor he had been given for this event. He was a servant of the dragon princess, a future knight in her employ if the gods so will it. He had to impress and impress he would.

"Always remember, rushing into battle is foolish. You are a Lannister and we are no fools. Take a deep breath, watch your surroundings and wait for a chance to strike. Let them make the mistakes, exploit their weaknesses," Jaime told his son. It was a proud moment for him, to see his son getting ready for his first tourney melee. He wondered if his father had felt the same pride, so many years ago… but Tywin Lannister was no ordinary man, who knew what he was really thinking.

"Ser Jaime!" One of the servants rushed into the tent, a distressed look on his face.

"What is it? Has something happened to my wife? Is the princess alright?"

"I don't know, my lord. But there is a guest for you, waiting..." The flaps of the tent opened once more, before the man could even finish his sentence. And in strode Tywin Lannister, imperious as he had always been, a scowl etched onto his face as he approached his son.

"Father..." Jaime wasn't exactly sure how to react to this sudden appearance. His father had more or less ordered him to bring his family for a joint dinner on this day, so he could meet his heirs for first time. But apparently the mighty lord of the Westerlands had no intention to wait.

This whole situation was far from ideal, especially now, when he had only a small group of men with him to guard his children. He had no idea how many men his father had brought, but Jaime wouldn't put it past the man to try and force his children to come with him. The man would press his advantage whenever possible…

Tywin, though, ignored his son at that moment. Instead he stalked towards Jason and Joanna, his eyes fixed on the twins, scrutinizing them. And despite his unreadable expression, the children couldn't shake the feeling of dread, as they faced their powerful grandfather, an enemy of their dear friend and chosen liege.

"The future of our house," Tywin said, as he stopped in front of Jason. They were staring at each other, as they assessed their counterpart.

"Father, may I introduce you to my oldest children. Jason, my firstborn son and heir, and Joanna, my oldest daughter." Jaime said. This was not how he had planned for this to happen.

"Jason… you named him for your mother's grandfather." Tywin stated. As Jaime nodded he continued, "A fitting name. My uncle was a better man than my weak father." And there would always be the extreme displeasure Tywin Lannister felt, when he thought about his father, who had nearly ruined their family with his spineless cowardice.

"I have great hopes that my son will one day earn even greater glory for House Lannister than any of his ancestors before," Jaime said. That this glory was directly linked to the restoration of the Targaryens was an unspoken fact, but one that all of them knew. Jaime would have been surprised, had his father not realized this.

"He is the future of our House, my heir. He will do our family proud and honor our legacy or perish trying to do so." Tywin replied harshly. "Do not disappoint me, Jason," he stared once more at his grandson, who stared back, unflinching.

Tywin gestured for one of his servants to come forward. The man carried a shield and a sword, both bearing the sigil of House Lannister.

"A gift for my heir, crafted by finest smith in all of Westeros. No heir of mine shall ever go to battle without the best of the best." Tywin stated, as he handed the sword to Jason.

The young Lannister took the sword silently and unsheated it. The blade had been polished to the point where it shone in the light, a silver gleam surrounding its sharp edges. Once he had finally pulled it free from its scabbard, he gave it a light swing, to test the weapon. He grinned, as he realized how masterfully crafted this sword really was.

"It is a wonderful weapon. Thank you… my lord." Jason couldn't bring himself to call this man grandfather. Not while knowing that this man had nearly been responsible for Rhaenys' death. Family he may be, but Jason would never allow himself to see this man was anything but the current lord of his house.

"Use it well to carve out your place in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, Jason," Tywin said, as he placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Out there you defend the name of our family. Never dishonor it." The brief look at Jaime had not been missed by any of them, as the old lord spoke the word dishonor. "Now go and do us all proud."

Jason wasn't sure whether he should react to this obvious dismissal. He looked searchingly at his father, waiting for a sign whether he should leave or stay. He knew that he would have to hurry, to make it on time for the first round of the melee. But on the other hand he did not wish to leave his sister alone with the dangerous lord. He knew that his father would not be in any danger here, but Joanna…

"Go, Jason. Fight as we have taught you and you cannot fail," Jaime said. He saw his son's inner turmoil and made the decision for him. "We will be with you shortly, to watch you fight."

"As you wish, father," He nodded respectfully to his father, yet only reluctantly towards Lord Tywin, who noted this act with great interest. Then he quickly left, taking his new shield and sword with him.

The old lord's attention shifted towards Joanna, soon after her brother had left. Again he scrutinized his grandchild intently, though the girl was in no way inclined to show any sort of deference to this man. Rhaenys was like a sister to her and she would be damned before she would show respect to a man who wishes to see the princess dead.

So she raised her chin and looked defiantly at her grandfather, who had stepped closer to her.

Tywin remained silent for a long time, as he just stood there and watched Joanna with an unreadable expression. Jaime could only wait with baited breath for whatever judgment his father had reserved for his daughter. At the very least he found some solace in this situation, as Joanna had not yet said or done anything to offend her grandfather.

"She has your mother's beauty. A true Lannister beauty… except for her eyes. Such a rare color these days," Tywin said. "Your sister was quite adamant that her daughter Myrcella is a true Lannister in looks, but she had not seen your daughter before."

Jaime found this exclamation rather odd, especially as there was a softness in his father's tone that Jaime had not heard since the day his mother had died. Everyone knew that Tywin had truly loved his wife and that her death had left him changed. He knew that Joanna had some resemblance to his mother, but this effect was most unexpected.

"And you even named her for your mother."

"A gesture of love and respect for my late mother. Only in recent years I have come to realize how much my daughter has taken after her," Jaime said. He smiled warmly at his daughter, who returned the smile happily. But her expression quickly turned cold once more, as he eyes found Tywin Lannister again.

"Tell me, girl, what have they taught you in Dorne about your ancestral home?"

"More than I would have ever cared to know. I have no interest in Casterly Rock and no wish ever to set foot there. My home is in Sunspear, at my princess' side." Joanna replied scathingly.

Tywin was not amused by this defiance. Her feeble glare and ill chosen words displeased him greatly.

"And a wonderful thing those Dornishmen have done for your manners. A lady of your standing should not have grown up with those debauched savages," Tywin replied coldly, "But you are still young and this… lack of decorum and manners can be rectified, once you are where you belong."

"I will not follow you," Joanna said slowly.

"Joanna," Jaime admonished her. Though he could understand her feelings, her disrespect was quite dangerous. It was never wise to slight Tywin Lannister, not even as a member of his directly family. Heirs were given some leeway, but Joanna was no heir and she was at best an asset in her grandfather's game.

"Your daughter will come with me, Jaime. Your aunt Genna may try her hand in reigning the girl in," Tywin ordered.

"Aunt Genna is here?" Jaime asked surprised. She had never seemed to be interested in tourneys. Why had his father brought her?

"Yes, your aunt has come with me, to meet your children herself. Make no mistake, Jaime. You might have hidden yourself in that desert to play the shining knight for that princess, but your actions and those of your progeny are of great interest to everyone in the Westerlands. Your son and daughter especially are the center of the attention of most of my bannermen."

"I know..."

"Do you, Jaime? You have not been to the Westerlands in nearly two decades. You have ignored your duties, you have neglected your responsibilities to your family. Your actions have done great damage to our house in an hour when we could have achieved true greatness." Tywin said coldly, as he stared at his son.

But Jaime was not willing to endure his father's anger, "Murdering little children is no way to achieve greatness, father." He said tersely. Deep down he felt ashamed for using this against his father, when he knew very well that the prince had survived. But some other child had been slaughtered in Aegon's stead.

"You presume to know everything, Jaime. You have been blind to the necessities of ruling a realm. You have deluded yourself with dreams of knightly honor, fed to you by Prince Rhaegar's best friend. You've been played by them and you did not even realize it. What I did was for the survival of our family. You nearly destroyed us all, when you made the decision to play the naive little Targaryen loyalist."

"I did what I could to redeem our name in a world that condemns all Lannisters as power hungry tyrants. I did what I could to restore our honor!" Jaime replied, his voice rising in volume, his anger showing in every word.

"You know nothing about how to rule, Jaime. Maybe I have to blame myself for allowing you too much leeway. I should have reigned you in, long before you could run off with those knights to hunt down the Kingswood Brotherhood. I have lost you there. But I won't loose my new heirs in the same way." The lord of the Westerlands stared at his son, anger, contempt, all visible in those eyes of his. He must have waited a long time to tell his son all of this.

"A man without honor is worth less than dirt, father. I won't allow you to turn my children into honorless monsters like yourself." Jaime wouldn't allow that to happen.

But as their conversation became more and more heated, the old Lannister's guards grew more wary and tense. They were ready to defend their lord, even if it meant to fight against his son. But Jaime was no man to be taken lightly. His hand was already on the hilt of his sword and he was ready to fight to protect his daughter if necessary.

"Enough of this," Tywin ordered sternly, as he saw how close his guards and his son had gotten to fight. "I am still your lord, Jaime. You owe me allegiance and you will not stand in my way, as I educate my heirs befittingly of their station."

"I believe it is time for you to go, father," Jaime replied coldly.

The old lion's eyes narrowed in barely concealed anger. But he had to realize that his advantage had been lost, as the flap of the tent opened and Oberyn Martell marched in, looking all smug and condescending, a spear firmly in his grasp. The lord of the Westerlands could also see a number of Dornishmen outside, far outnumbering the guards he had brought with him.

"Don't mind me, please continue," Oberyn said, as he lazily walked over to Joanna and positioned himself next to the girl. He feigned ignorance, as he started to fiddle around with his spear, though his eyes still found the two Lannister men every now and then.

"This is not over, Jaime. I will not allow you to destroy our family and all I've done to preserve our legacy." Tywin growled, before he turned on his heels and left.

Jaime could only breathe in relief, as his father was gone. This entire situation had escalated far too quickly for his liking. He had underestimated his father's anger and willingness to protect what he considers the future of his family.

"This murderous bastard has guts to come here," Oberyn commented scathingly. His hatred of Tywin was even more evident now. It was a wonder that he had not tried to harm the man he blamed for his nephews death. The man who still poses a threat to his sister and niece.

"He surprised me," Jaime admitted, "I had not expected for him to try to force my children away from me. Else I would have taken more guards with me to protect them."

"Where is Jason?" Oberyn demanded to know, as he couldn't spot his squire.

"He has already left for the melee. He should be safe from my father there. Tywin Lannister isn't foolish enough to try anything in front of so many people."

"I hate him," Joanna said simply.

"Your grandfather is a dangerous man." Jaime cautioned her, "A ruthless man who was willing to murder the royal family, especially the infant children, to gain an advantage at the end of the war. It is our duty to undo the damage he has done to our family's reputation. We can't and we won't rule through fear as he does. We need the lords of the Westerlands on our side, willingly and eager to serve. Another generation of fear will only breed more resentment."

"He still holds an iron grip on the Westerlands and all its lords. You've your work cut out for you." Oberyn commented. "But getting rid of that murderous bastard would be a good start."

* * *

Ignorant of their grandfather's actions, a prince and a squire met on the field for the melee. It wasn't their first meeting, as they had exchange a few words during the feast the night before, but it was none the less intense, as they stared at each other.

"Well, well. Look at this, boys. A desert lion who has finally stopped hiding behind his dragon," Prince Joffrey commented haughtily to his companions.

He had two other young men at his side. Jason recognized only one of them, the heir to Winterfell and the North, Robb Stark.

"Careful, cousin, you might choke on your words soon," Jason replied idly. "But I have to admit, you are brave to participate here. There might be others here, who are less inclined to keep you alive."

"Is that a threat?" Joffrey demanded tersely.

"No, an observation. I wish to fight you, but I won't stain my sword with the blood of my own kin, even when that kin is a Baratheon," Jason told him, the same disconcerting smile always on his face.

He meant what he had said. He had no wish to harm his cousin here. This boy was no more his enemy than the Stark next to him. But their fathers… all those who would wish Rhaenys harm should never hope for a moment of respite from him. He would protect his princess from harm, he had sworn to do that, just as his father had done before.

Others had joined him, other young fighters from Dorne, who would stand with him. A courteous nod from them was enough to convey their willingness to fight alongside him. Especially Quentyn Martell was one Jason was happy to have by his side. If the boy was anything like his uncle, he would be a welcome ally.

"We will see how big you are, once you beg for mercy with my sword at your throat," Joffrey replied eagerly.

It was apparent that he was just as glad about this chance to test his mettle against someone of equal upbringing. Maybe it would finally earn him the recognition from his father, which he sought so desperately. All he had to do was triumph against the son of one of his father's most hated enemies. And so the grandsons of the mighty Tywin Lannister would fight, to prove themselves to those whose opinion means the world to them...

* * *

**A/N: Okay, as I had mentioned, I had quite a lot of trouble to get this chapter done. You could call it the mother of all writer's blocks. I am still struggling to pick up the pieces of the storyline I had planned. So don't expect regular updates any time soon. In fact I'm not even sure whether I will continue this story at all at this moment. Maybe my problems will get better, once the next season is out... but that is still months away... yeah, sorry about this...**


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